If you are running a healthcare organization, you probably already know that keeping patient information safe and secure is of utmost importance. But, what you may not have known by now is that the information integrity and confidentiality has to be ensured even outside the walls of your facility. Meaning what exactly? Meaning that, as you provide people with remote care, home health services, as well as prescription delivery, you have to ensure that those services comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Here is more on what it entails: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK500019/ 

Now, in order to be able to stay in compliance, you will have to get better acquainted with the whole topic. In short, there are a lot of significant things every medical practice should know about HIPAA-compliant deliveries. So, if you are ready to learn, then you should keep on reading, because below we will shed some light on this particular topic, hoping to make things clearer, and thus the process of achieving compliance easier.

What Is HIPAA?

The first question you probably have in mind is the question of what HIPAA specifically is. You may not be sure about this just yet, in case you’ve just recently set up your practice, or in case you haven’t worried about this too much in the past. In any case, you definitely have to better understand this concept in order to stay in compliance while delivering those important healthcare services.

So, HIPAA is actually an act that has been established in an effort to regulate the national standards for protecting sensitive patient information. It applies to all the healthcare providers, insurers, and other entities, as well as third-party service providers, such as those that may actually be doing the product deliveries. Click this to understand this act better, as well as the importance of staying compliant.

When any medical practice has to deliver anything that contains patient information, there is no doubt that the info will have to be properly protected. That can include anything from prescription medications and lab results to any kind of durable medical equipment or any kind of documents. So, the medical practice has to ensure that the delivery process complies with those HIPAA regulations.

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Requirements for HIPAA Compliant Deliveries

What are the requirements that make a delivery HIPAA compliant, though? Well, there are several you should absolutely know about. So, let me now list them for you, hoping to help you do this the right way and ensure that the information of your patients is properly protected at all times.

Follow the Rule of Minimum Necessary

First things first, all deliveries should follow the rules of the minimum necessary. Meaning what exactly? Meaning that you shouldn’t disclose more than the absolutely necessary information for delivery. So, no unnecessary personal details should be included on the package labels.

Make Sure the Packaging Is Secure

Moving on, ensuring that the packaging is secure is also of crucial importance. The items should be packaged in opaque packaging that cannot be tampered with without showing. Thus, the goal is to hide content and prevent unauthorized access. 

Get Documented Consent

Here is something that should go without saying. You should always get documented consent from the patients for making the deliveries. This goes especially if you have to leave the package unattended, so make sure you and the patients are on the same page regarding how and where the delivery will be made, and make sure to get their documented consent.

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Choose the Right Delivery Partner and Sign an Agreement

Of course, to stay in compliance, you will need to partner up with the right delivery partner and sign an agreement with them through which they will agree to comply with the HIPAA safeguards. So, take your time to explore and find trusted companies, then research them in more detail, checking their experience and reputation, among other things. Of course, don’t forget to also check the prices of their services, but don’t ever make your choice based on those alone, because the key is in getting the best quality and HIPAA compliant services.

Ensure an Audit Trail

Another thing you should always remember to do is maintain proper documentation. This includes everything that is a part of delivery logistics, from timestamps, recipient verifications, to all the handling details. Doing this is relevant because it ensures there is an audit trail in case of any kind of disputes or investigations.

Conclusion

To sum up, to stay in compliance, the most important thing to do is to find the right delivery partner that will be ready to follow the HIPAA regulations. And then, do your part by not disclosing more information than necessary, by getting documented consent from your patients, as well as ensuring that the products are safely packaged and that there is an audit trail. When you do this right, you won’t have to worry about not being in compliance with any of the HIPAA regulations.