As a senior living facility operator, you may be familiar with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), especially if some of your residents are dealing with chronic health conditions. However, understanding how HIPAA applies to your facility and what is required for compliance can be challenging. In this article, we break down HIPAA and how it applies to your senior living community and outline steps you can take to protect your residents’ data.
HIPAA was established in 1996 with the goal of improving access to health care. It includes privacy provisions to protect patients’ sensitive health information. As a senior living provider, you may need to access these records to effectively manage residents in need of medical care. Because of this, you need procedures in place to securely transfer and receive these records.
Using tools, such as WorldView’s Senior Living solution, lets you safely send and receive confidential patient records so you can manage your residents’ healthcare needs without compromising their privacy. WorldView's solution allows you to securely upload pictures and notes and share them with a resident’s doctor. Additionally, its messaging feature enables your team to communicate without violating HIPAA regulations.
Understanding HIPAA in Senior Living Communities
Not all residents are being treated for health conditions in senior living facilities. Many of them may be in stable condition or managing chronic illnesses. However, if your community has an on-site medical center and bills third-party providers, such as Medicare, you are subject to HIPAA privacy rules and regulations.
While residents may freely discuss their health information with others, caregivers and staff members are bound by HIPAA regulations. Even if your facility does not conduct HIPAA-covered transactions, such as submitting claims or verifying insurance, you could still be at risk for compliance violations if you provide medical services to your residents and transmit their health information to their doctors.
To stay in compliance, set clear policies for protecting patient information and securely storing resident records. If you need to share a patient’s medical information, get permission and use a secure platform to send the data.
Challenges of Maintaining HIPAA Compliance in Senior Living
HIPAA rules and regulations are constantly evolving with technology, and it can be hard to keep up. Many senior living communities don’t have set policies in place to guide documentation, storage, and compliance. You need consistent document management procedures to prevent staff from accidentally sharing confidential information.
For example, if administrators are not trained to secure confidential paper records, they could unintentionally expose patient data by leaving documents on their desks during a break.
Shifting to electronic records solves this and similar challenges, as your team can easily lock computers or workstations. You can also control access to sensitive information by restricting permissions within the data management software.
Best Practices for Achieving HIPAA Compliance in Senior Living
Digital solutions like WorldView’s Senior Living give your team a single platform to fill out, store, and transmit resident records. They can securely send digital records and track physician orders through the platform.
WorldView’s Physician Order Tracking automates the tracking process, so you don’t have to manually check your fax machine. This reduces the risk of leaving paper documents exposed.
Create a culture of compliance by training your team on the importance of adhering to HIPAA regulations and the potential consequences of violations. Set up clear policies and procedures for document management, and conduct routine audits of your facility to make sure your staff stays compliant.
Keep up with regulatory changes by attending industry conferences and subscribing to relevant publications. Join an agency that offers trainings and webinars, and encourage your staff to attend.
Automate compliance procedures to reduce the risk of human error. Technologies like artificial intelligence can automate the intake process so your team can complete it more quickly and store all patient records securely.
How WorldView Supports HIPAA Compliance for Senior Living Facilities
WorldView’s Senior Living solution takes the guesswork out of HIPAA compliance, as it's designed with security in mind. Our solution offers tools that let you upload notes and photos and easily attach them to patient medical records or transmit them as hospice data. You can also use the messaging feature and group fax capabilities to securely send patient records, medical bills, and other sensitive information.
Prioritizing HIPAA Compliance in Senior Living
HIPAA compliance can be confusing for providers, especially since not all senior living communities offer medical services. However, if your facility accepts insurance and provides medical services to residents, you are likely subject to HIPAA rules.
Inconsistent procedures and lack of training can lead administrators and caregivers to accidentally violate HIPAA regulations. Implementing secure digital solutions helps your team maintain compliance by providing a single, secure platform for managing and sharing patient information.
These solutions also give you a clear audit trail and protect you in the event that you need to prove compliance. Learn more about how WorldView can help you nail compliance in your senior living facility. Schedule a demo today.
