5 Accessibility Issues That Are Also HIPAA Violations
Published on April 4, 2019 at 10:00 am
If there’s one industry where accessibility is critical, it’s healthcare. Providing accessible patient forms, information and other documents not only affects the patient experience, it also may keep your organization from unintentionally committing a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) violation.
Accessibility & HIPAA Violations
How can a lack of accessibility in your hospital or healthcare facility result in a HIPAA violation? Here are a few ways:
Lacking an Accessible HIPAA Form
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “Health plans and covered health care providers are required to develop and distribute a notice that provides a clear explanation of these rights and practices.” This means healthcare facilities must provide a HIPAA notice in a format that the patient can read, including accessible formats such as braille, large print, and audio. The inability to provide this form in multiple accessible formats is both an accessibility issue and a HIPAA violation.
Sharing Medical Information with Family Members
When a patient is blind or visually impaired, some medical facilities ask that a family member sign forms and review information on the patient’s behalf. Unless a patient has designated that [...]