Amid the coronavirus pandemic, many dentists have turned to teledentistry to stay connected with patients while practicing social distancing; providing consultation, evaluation and next step actions. But as with any new technology, teledentistry brings about new questions. Healthcare risk management and compliance expert, Linda Harvey, RDH, shares her expertise in assuring the teledentistry technology you choose for your practice is compliant with HIPAA rules and keeps the privacy and security of your patients intact.
Take Your HIPAA Faux Pas Seriously
Recently, I receive a frantic email from an orthodontic client. A team member had emailed a patient’s diagnostic letter to the referring dentist. But the patient had specifically stated she...
What Is Your HIPAA Compliance IQ?
All healthcare professionals would agree that maintaining confidentiality and privacy of patient information is of utmost importance. The requirements for maintaining confidentiality and privacy are strictly mandated under the HIPAA...
2 Common Social Media HIPAA Questions
We’ve been asking you to submit your most pressing HIPAA-related social media questions, and a couple came in that I think are important, common questions. Question 1: How do you...
Balancing Social Media and Patient Privacy
Undeniably, technology has transformed the way dentistry is delivered and how we communicate with patients. With these changes come federal and/or state laws such as HIPAA, mandating patient privacy and...
And the Winner Is…
In-office promotions and patient giveaways are an easy way to market to existing and prospective patients. However, there are always legalities that must be followed to be sure that what...
Your Most Pressing Social Media HIPAA Related Questions
A few months ago, I wrote an article called Social Media Legal Considerations for Dentistry. Since then, I’ve received dozens of comments, questions and feedback. Many of you were simply grateful...
Using Social Media in a Regulated Industry
Social media is a very common piece of marketing strategy for many businesses, including dental practices, and often these businesses look to their customers to help create content. Customers are...
Do You Know When to Keep the Barn Door Closed?
HIPAA and Release of Information regulations can create sticky situations. Frequently, I am asked how to handle release of information to the caregiver of an elderly patient after the information...
How Much Is Your Data Worth?
Typically, when one thinks of the value of a business – dental practice or otherwise – one tends to think of the physical assets such as equipment, furniture and office...
A Private Area for Financial Discussions Increases Case Acceptance
Increasing case acceptance is high on every practice’s priority list; however, one factor that often gets overlooked is where the treatment and financial discussions take place. Let’s take a look...
When HIPAA Comes Knocking
Knock, Knock Who’s there? OCR OCR, who? Oh see, are your HIPAA Policies up to date? According to the 2011 Second Annual Benchmark Study on Patient Privacy & Data Security...
HIPAA Compliance: Next Round of Audits Postponed — but Beware!
In February of this year the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) announced its plans for the Phase 2 mandatory HIPAA compliance audits. Since that time, several details surrounding the HIPAA...
Hooray for Data Privacy Day!
Though I am sure that you didn’t miss it, some readers may be unaware that Data Privacy Day happened back in January. Your intrepid writer celebrated DPD by taking a...
Social Networking: Blurring the Professional Boundary
As readers of this blog know, we love to discuss how social media tools can improve the patient experience via social networking platforms. While social networking provides a new and...