Week 5 Topic 1
Assessment Description
What is HIPAA? What is HITECH? Why are these important? How do they apply to the
behavioral health field? Use the article on the HIPAA Journal website located in the
Topic 5 Resources.
HIPAA is an act from 1994 that was passed in order to protect the person receiving services
from theft or fraud. HIPAA stands for health insurance portability and accountability act. This
act exists to protect private information. It prohibits the professional from disclosing any
information without their consent. HIPAA is a very important part of our job and going against it
could result in legal action taken by the client. It is important because we have a duty to maintain
the confidentiality of our clients and their information. Having an act like this in place can
ensure the client that their information is safe with us, that we will not use what they say against
them.
HITECH was passed in 2009 by former President Barack Obama. From my understanding
HITECH was created to help the expansion of the electronic health record. According to an
article I read, "prior to the introduction of HITECH, about only 10% of hospitals had adopted the
electronic health record" and "The Act increased the rate of adoption of EHRs from 3.2% in
2008 to 14.2% in 2015. By 2017, 86% of office-based physicians had adopted an EHR and 96%
of
non-federal acute care hospitals has implemented certified health IT" (What is the HITECH Act
(hipaajournal.com), n.d). The use of electronic health records helped with better care
coordination, transfer of care, and receiving records. When the HITECH act was introduced, it
also helped tighten the loose wording of HIPAA and closed any possible loopholes. It also made
sure that entities that were non-compliant were faced with penalties. Lastly, HITECH also
notifies the client of any breaches that have affected them and their personal information.
Staying up to date on the most recent technological advances that may apply to us in a
professional setting helps us eliminate the chance of breaking HIPAA and following the policies
set out by the HITECH act. "Note that there are other areas where HIPAA may affect mental
health practice in ways that may conflict with generally accepted standards of practice or ethical
guidelines, such as the fact that communication for continuity-of-care or insurance billing
purposes no longer legally requires a release" (Lawley, 2012)
References
Unknown (n.d) The Hippa Journal retrieved from What is the HITECH Act (hipaajournal.com)
Lawley, J. S. (2012). HIPAA, HITECH and the practicing counselor: Electronic records and
practice guidelines. The Professional Counselor, 2(3), 192-200.
Assessment Description
What is HIPAA? What is HITECH? Why are these important? How do they apply to the
behavioral health field? Use the article on the HIPAA Journal website located in the
Topic 5 Resources.
HIPAA is an act from 1994 that was passed in order to protect the person receiving services
from theft or fraud. HIPAA stands for health insurance portability and accountability act. This
act exists to protect private information. It prohibits the professional from disclosing any
information without their consent. HIPAA is a very important part of our job and going against it
could result in legal action taken by the client. It is important because we have a duty to maintain
the confidentiality of our clients and their information. Having an act like this in place can
ensure the client that their information is safe with us, that we will not use what they say against
them.
HITECH was passed in 2009 by former President Barack Obama. From my understanding
HITECH was created to help the expansion of the electronic health record. According to an
article I read, "prior to the introduction of HITECH, about only 10% of hospitals had adopted the
electronic health record" and "The Act increased the rate of adoption of EHRs from 3.2% in
2008 to 14.2% in 2015. By 2017, 86% of office-based physicians had adopted an EHR and 96%
of
non-federal acute care hospitals has implemented certified health IT" (What is the HITECH Act
(hipaajournal.com), n.d). The use of electronic health records helped with better care
coordination, transfer of care, and receiving records. When the HITECH act was introduced, it
also helped tighten the loose wording of HIPAA and closed any possible loopholes. It also made
sure that entities that were non-compliant were faced with penalties. Lastly, HITECH also
notifies the client of any breaches that have affected them and their personal information.
Staying up to date on the most recent technological advances that may apply to us in a
professional setting helps us eliminate the chance of breaking HIPAA and following the policies
set out by the HITECH act. "Note that there are other areas where HIPAA may affect mental
health practice in ways that may conflict with generally accepted standards of practice or ethical
guidelines, such as the fact that communication for continuity-of-care or insurance billing
purposes no longer legally requires a release" (Lawley, 2012)
References
Unknown (n.d) The Hippa Journal retrieved from What is the HITECH Act (hipaajournal.com)
Lawley, J. S. (2012). HIPAA, HITECH and the practicing counselor: Electronic records and
practice guidelines. The Professional Counselor, 2(3), 192-200.
