This project is designed to help you demonstrate both your understanding of how the HIPAA rule is implemented and enforced, and your writing, research, and critical thinking skills.
Go to http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy and begin researching answers to the following
questions. (Note that covered entity refers to who and what are subject to HIPAA rules—
such as health plans, doctors, hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes.)
Locate answers to the questions, and then write your findings in your own words.
- Does HIPAA affect a patient’s right to access his or her medical records or determine who can see the information? If so, describe the patient’s rights. What can
patients do if they believe their rights are being denied? - How do you file a complaint regarding a HIPAA violation with the Office for Civil Rights?
- Exactly what must a covered entity do to notify patients when there’s a breach of
unsecured, protected health information? - How does the Office for Civil Rights investigate a complaint of HIPAA violation? Are
any other agencies involved? How can complaints be resolved? What penalties, if
any, can the Office for Civil Rights impose on doctors and hospitals for violations?