Healthcare provider

Your reading path

Step 1 of 6, check off articles as you finish (saved in this browser).

1. 1

   What is HIPAA and why does it apply to my office?

   HIPAA is a federal law protecting patient health information. Here's what it means for your practice in plain English.

   DoneRead →
2. 2

   What patient information do we need to protect?

   Understand what counts as protected health information in a real office, not just charts, but conversations, schedules, and more.

   DoneRead →
3. 3

   What are we actually allowed to say about patients?

   Confirming an appointment, talking to family, taking a call: what staff can and cannot say about patients under HIPAA, with real front-desk examples.

   DoneRead →
4. 4

   HIPAA and Patient Care: Talking to Other Providers

   Coordinating care is allowed; oversharing in public is not. Here's the balance.

   DoneRead →
5. 5

   HIPAA and Mental Health: Extra Sensitivity

   Mental health information is still PHI, and some parts get additional protections.

   DoneRead →
6. 6

   What should I do if I think something went wrong?

   Wrong fax, strange email, lost phone, or coworker snooping, here's how to respond without making it worse.

   DoneRead →

Your checklist

Items most relevant to your role. Progress syncs with the full checklist.

• All staff completed HIPAA training within the last year

  What training is required? →

• Computers are password protected and lock automatically after a few minutes

  Security basics →

• Staff only access patient records they need for their specific job

  What is minimum necessary? →

• Mobile phones and tablets used for patient care are encrypted and PIN-protected

  Mobile device security →

• Patient conversations at the front desk cannot be overheard by others in the waiting room

  Privacy at the front desk →

Your scenarios