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HIP
is a unique package of software tools developed to address HIPAA
compliance for home care and hospice providers. Our goal in developing
this package was to take you and your organization through the HIPAA
compliance process without the need for expensive consultants.
To accomplish this, we dissect the Security Rule and explain it
in language you will understand. We provide you comprehensive guidance
and a road map to assure compliance. As you work with HIP, every
decision you make is documented, so there will be no questions when
your organization's HIPAA compliance efforts are ultimately reviewed.
To begin, we summarize the regulations and provide definitions of
key HIPAA terms – all in plain English. The regulations are
divided into six manageable “chunks” each with a set of
questions or probes you must answer to determine what needs to be
done to bring your agency into compliance. As you answer questions,
you identify gaps that need to be addressed. When a gap is identified,
we provide you a list of tasks to be performed. We include sample
forms, policies and procedures, checklists and other resources to
help you along the way.
We have also built in a project manager to track progress and make
certain all activities are completed on time. Tasks that need to
be performed are logged into the project Work Plan and management
reports are produced.
But that's not all. Throughout the software you'll use the HIP Advisor
as your personal HIPAA consultant. Let's now take a closer look
at HIP and how you can use it to bring your agency into compliance.
Where
Do We Begin?
Your
journey through HIP begins with the Agency Profile screen. Here
you provide summary information about your organization. We then
use this information to customize the software for your agency.
This includes transferring your agency's name, address and
other identifying information to sample forms and documents.
How
Is HIP Organized?
HIPAA
is an extraordinarily complex set of regulations. The final Security
Rule, clarifications and subsequent revisions represent hundreds
of pages of text. We recognized early on, very few home care executives
would have the time to wade through the entire regulation. So, we
developed a structure that breaks the regulation into much more
manageable pieces. If you look at this as an organization chart,
you'll understand what we have done.
Chunks
The
Security regulation has been organized into six “chunks”
addressing a specific set of related topics. This is your first
navigation point in the HIP software. You begin by picking a chunk
of the regulation you want to work on. The chunks and related probe
sets appear when you click on the Gap Analysis button. Let's use
the Legal Forms chunk as an example.
Probe Sets
Each
chunk has associated with it several Probe Sets. There are a total
of 33 Probe Sets in HIP. Each one represents a separate screen,
addresses a specific aspect of the regulation and includes a set
of questions you must answer to complete your Gap Analysis (compliance
assessment). In our example, Legal Forms has three Probe Sets that
correspond to the three forms you are required to use in your agency
to comply with privacy requirements.
The
Probe Set level in HIP is very important. It is here you will be
learning more about HIPAA and will be doing most of your work. Here
we provide you an edited version of the particular aspect of the
rule we are addressing, complete with citations.
From within the edited rule text you can also access definitions
to key HIPAA terms. Click on any term shown in bold text and we
provide the official definition.
If you
want to review the specific citations, just click on the italicized
citation text. The citation detail screen will appear.
Additionally,
we provide you a concise, easy-to-understand summary of what each
part of the rule means.
 As
you work with HIP, if you find you need more help just click on the
HIP Advisor icon to see if she has additional advice that will
help you better understand this Probe Set
Probes
In order
to complete your Gap Analysis you will answer a series of questions
or Probes that help you identify areas where you need to take action.
Specific Probes are associated with each Probe Set. There are a
total of 106 Probes that you will have to answer. Typically, there
are three or four questions you need to answer for each aspect of
the privacy rule you are evaluating.
HIP Toolbar
As you
work on each Probe, the HIP toolbar is always available. These are
the resources you will need to bring your agency into compliance
– all at your fingertips. Just click on the appropriate icon.
Let's take a look at each of the tools we provide.
All
of the suggested tasks you need to perform to achieve compliance
for this aspect of HIPAA are displayed in the ATL. Here you can
start organizing your HIPAA compliance project – identifying
priorities, assigning tasks to specific staff and scheduling activities.
We also provide space to record notes on each task. And, the HIP
Advisor is there at your side with advice on every step in the process.
How
Do We Manage Our Compliance Project?
The
Security regulations may be complex, but managing your HIPAA compliance
efforts doesn't need to be. We have built a project manager into
HIP to help you through the process.
All
tasks that need to be completed are automatically transferred from
each probe's ATL to a master Work Plan. Using the Work Plan you
can organize and manage your entire project. Reports can be generated
tracking progress on virtually any level – task, staff person,
target date or status. For more sophisticated users, we even give
you the ability to export task statements to other project management
software.
Where
Do We Go For Help?
We have tried to make HIP as easy-to-use as possible. But, we know
even the best users will occasionally have questions. There are
several places in HIP that you can turn to for help with the software
or advice on bringing your organization into compliance.
User's
Guide
We have provided a complete User's Guide with the HIP software.
The manual is a .PDF file and is opened using Adobe Acrobat Reader
which is provided with the software. You can use the manual as an
electronic reference. Or, you can print out all of it or just the
parts you are interested in reviewing. When you use it as an electronic
reference, it is searchable using the “Find” command.
Help
We have also included a Help system that provides you quick access
to information on how to use the software. You can access Help from
most of the HIP screens. Just click on “Help” and you
will then be able to find the information you are looking for, using
the table of contents or by typing in a topic name.
HIP Advisor
When you are looking for help understanding the HIPAA regulations
or what you need to do to bring your agency into compliance, you
can turn to the HIP Advisor. She is at your side throughout HIP.
Any
time you see the HIP Advisor icon you can click on her for additional
information. You'll find this icon on all of the Probe Set
screens.
When
you are working on probes and reviewing tasks, either in the Action
Task List or Work Plan, you will see this icon. Just click and you'll
see probe-specific or task-specific guidance
How
Do We Train Our Staff ?
HIPAA requires you to provide Privacy and Security
training to all members of your workforce. This includes all of
your clinicians, aides and office staff, both full-time and part-time.
You will also have to provide training to any volunteers that may
assist your agency's patients and in some situations you may need
to provide training to contracted (temporary) staff as well. This
will be a significant challenge.
We have created a series of three staff training videos that complement
the HIP software. Separate videos have been prepared specifically
for clinicians, aides and office staff. Each of these videos is
approximately 20 minutes long. We also offer a brief video for patient's
families and caregivers.
All of the staff training videos are organized in a similar manner.
The first half of each video explains HIPAA's requirements to your
staff in terms they will understand. Emphasis is on familiarizing
them with their responsibilities to protect patient privacy and
to make certain protected health information is adequately secured.
The second half of the videos presents each staff group with a series
of scenarios illustrating typical situations they are likely to
encounter where they need to be particularly vigilant.
The HIPAA for Families video is a unique resource. Its goals
are twofold. First, it is intended to inform patients and their
families of their rights under HIPAA. As such, it complements your
agency's Notice of Privacy Practices. Second, it informs patients
and their families of their responsibilities, recognizing the vast
majority of home care agencies maintain a home file.
These educational resources will help you get your HIPAA training
program off the ground quickly.
GetHip can be obtained by calling toll free 1-866-436-7047.
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