Today's blog post comes from WebPT copywriters Charlotte Bohnett and Erica Cohen.

So, you probably remember a few weeks ago we wrote a pretty comprehensive overview on how you can ensure HIPAA compliance in your clinic. We covered everything from HIPAA basics to continuing education and training. In case you didn’t have a chance to read it, here’s a refresher:

US Congress established the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act in 1996. They implemented Title II: Preventing Health Care Fraud and Abuse to protect a patient’s private health information (PHI).

“Under this act, all healthcare providers, insurers, and their business associates may only collect, share, or use a patient’s PHI in approved methods and only for the explicit purpose of furthering patient care.

“A HIPAA violation can be anything from discussing identifiable patient information with your friends over lunch to leaving your not-password-protected work laptop open at a coffee shop. And, if you are found to have committed wrongful disclosure of individually identifiable health information, there are financial and criminal repercussions—including fines of up to $50,000 and one-year imprisonment.”

Now that we all know the basics, how about we tackle something a bit more tricky: HIPAA myths. There’s a lot of lore out there surrounding mobile devices and technology. What’s compliant? What isn’t? Can I use this? What about that? Let’s nip these worrisome quandaries in the bud here and now. Enter the WebPT mythbusters!