Running a small medical practice is a juggling act. Staff wear many hats, and HIPAA compliance often gets squeezed in amongst other tasks. Did you know that physicians spend an average of 10 to 19 hours per week on administrative duties such as HIPAA tasks?

HIPAA legislation outlines how Covered Entities and Business Associates must handle and secure patient PHI (Protected Health Information).  Specifically, a HIPAA Compliance Officer (HCO) must be designated to ensure compliance maintenance. This is a significant yet essential role, and one that staff in a busy, small office have little time to attend to. 

Here’s the good news: There are better ways to manage HIPAA compliance efficiently if you’re the HCO. Let’s explore the key duties of an HCO and how you can handle the numerous obligations that come with the role. 

What is an HCO? 

The HCO must ensure the practice follows HIPAA requirements and sufficiently follows all physical, administrative, and technical safeguards to protect sensitive patient data.

Being an HCO is a significant role and crucial for patient data security. Many HCOs wear multiple hats within an organization, such as serving as the office manager or a doctor.

This can sometimes feel overwhelming, but it’s important to remember that HIPAA compliance is a shared commitment. Just like a conductor leads an orchestra, the HCO sets the tone. However, like every musician, from the violinist to the triangle player, needs to play their part flawlessly, everyone in the organization must follow HIPAA rules to create a harmony of patient privacy.

What is an HCO Responsible for? 

The HCO role oversees everything related to a HIPAA program. This includes managing documentation, training, reviewing updated legislation, conducting the Security Risk Analysis, and much more. 

As the HCO, you must ensure proper compliance with HIPAA regulations within your practice and serve as the primary resource for your staff regarding HIPAA concerns. You also need to uphold patient access rights and ensure patients receive their medical records promptly.

In case of a HIPAA violation or breach, the HCO will investigate and report the situation to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) accordingly. The HCO acts as the main point of contact for the OCR and serves as the liaison if further investigation is required. Sounds like a lot of work, right?

The Cure for HCO Stress

By now, you know the role of an HCO is complex and can be time-consuming, especially when the individual manages numerous roles in a practice. 

The time spent on HIPAA tasks reduces the time available for patient care and other tasks. Inaccurate documentation due to human error can also lead to non-compliance with federal standards, adding stress and complexity to an HCO’s role.

Many HCOs have their trusty HIPAA binder bursting with disorganized documentation. While this physical documentation might be an easy band-aid for an organization, as HIPAA continues to evolve, your binder should too.

We can all agree there are much more enjoyable activities than handling HIPAA documentation. That’s where smart software solutions can streamline compliance for a practice. Instead of taking hours each week, this process can be reduced to minutes with intelligent software that can identify vulnerabilities and provide insights for improvement. That sounds a lot better, right? 

To learn more about how to streamline your compliance program, saving time and cost and providing peace of mind for the HCO, schedule an educational consultation today with an Abyde expert.