There has been quite a bit of activity from the HHS Office of Civil Rights (OCR) related to health information privacy. Consumers and medical providers should take note of the following:
- A Spanish version of the Model Notices of Privacy Practices (NPP) has been issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services OCR and Office for the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC). According to recent US Census Bureau statistics, Spanish is the primary language at home for 38.3 million people age five or older. Providing the NPP in this “culturally and linguistically appropriate manner” improves the cultural competency of health and health care organizations (a goal of the Affordable Care Act and the much earlier Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.) Developed through focus groups with Spanish speakers, this consumer-tested resource provides patients and health plan subscribers culturally competent information about their rights under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule. HHS has four options for the model Notice of Privacy Practices in Spanish to help providers and health plans choose what method will best integrate into their current procedures to better serve their Spanish-speaking patients and plan members. To view the Model Notices in Spanish click here.
- A Digital Privacy Notice Challenge will award to the creators of the best online versions of a Notice of Privacy Practices with $25,000 in prizes. The contest stems from the recent joint efforts of the ONC/OCR to develop new model notice resources that clearly convey the required HIPAA information to patients in an accessible format. The new model notice resources offer an opportunity to improve what covered entities display online. The goal is to create a “patient-friendly resource” that will be compelling for patients to read and also easy to understand. The contest helps break down barriers to patients taking greater control of their own health and health care, by making online resources regarding patient privacy and health information sharing more accessible to patients. The deadline for submission is April 7, 2014. Read more about the contest and get details on an upcoming webinar here.
- Finally, new guidance has been issued on the HIPAA Privacy Rule and sharing information related to Mental Health conditions. The guidance addresses some of the more frequently asked questions about when it is appropriate under the Privacy Rule for a health care provider to share the protected health information of an adult or minor patient who is treated for a mental health condition. The guidance clarifies when HIPAA permits health care providers to communicate to patient’s family members, friends or others involved in the patient’s care and under what circumstances to ensure the patient receives the best treatment and for other important purposes, such as the health and safety of the patient or others. Here is the link to the full text.
