Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act - Research Proposal Example

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), is a regulation whose primary purpose is the protection of the privacy health information along with the legitimate use and disclosure of such information for various social groups (Ness 298: 2164-2170). Qualitative problem statements: When it comes to the implications of the application of this act, we see that it effects the organizations under it at multiple levels. The first and foremost concern of the organization obliged to this act is the compliance issues and confusion when it comes to the application of it. One of the biggest concerns of clinical organizations is the determinations of who the clinical staff can talk to when it comes to confidential patient information (Darves). The confusion of the staff in turn can have an impact on their customer service levels as well as resulting in problems and confusion for the customer base. In addition to creating confusions, such ambiguity is also prone to affecting the patient care. Misconceptions in the privacy regulation system can cause a great hindrance in the patient’s follow-up care. The impedance of the communication factor that is essential to the patient care can be affected as a result of the regulations of this act. On the other hand, we also see that clinical staff of the organizations is not the only one that has to face the implications of this act, but the patients are equally baffled by it. In some of the cases the patients do not really grasp the true implications of such privacy regulations and might go for over protection which in turn effects their care taking or they tick off an option that are not always in their best interests (Darves). Another problem with respect to the patients is that while inspecting their medical records the act forbids them from making any changes. The ambiguity in such cases can lead to great dissatisfaction among the clientele in the long run. In addition to that, the legislation of keeping the patient related information withheld is also greatly troublesome for the clinical/health research organizations for which it is essential to gather such information for various analyses. Such issues have also been highlighted in numerous articles such as “A problem oriented approach to the HIPAA security standards” from the journal American Academy of Family Physicians (David, Kibbe 8.7: 37-43). This article also sheds light on the compliance issues of the physicians and other health care with respect to this act of HIPAA and their discomfort with it which is prone to having great impact on their customer satisfaction level. In addition to that, another article in Clinical Laboratory Science journal sheds light on the customer related issues in relation to different aspects of HIPAA such as “minimum necessary” that creates complications for the customer base (Hovis, Veillon 16.2: 85-87). In terms of the impact of HIPAA on health research organizations, an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association also suggests that according to the anecdotal reports Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Privacy Rule is having an effect on the health research in United States (Ness 298.18:2164-2170). Qualitative purpose statement: To analyze the level of compliance that the health care organizations practice with respect to the HIPAA regulations and their level of association with it along with determining its impacts on the customer base and other related institutes due to its regulation on the patient related information being handed out. Research methodology: A descriptive research will be carried out for this study which takes into account different surveys and facts that are inquired by using diverse methods and the main purpose of this type of research is to provide information on current matters. In terms of sample, the study would use various epidemiologists for the analysis of the research related part of the project while for different health organizations would be considered from the specified state. Due to the nature of the research both primary and secondary data collection will be made use of. For primary data collection questioners will be designed for both the staff of the health care organizations having to follow this act along with their clientele. General surveys would also be used for analyzing the level of comfort with which HIPAA regulations are practiced along with determining the opinions of the customer base in relation to it. Interviews would also be made a part of the study to get an idea how this act of HIPAA is perceived in terms of its impacts on the organization’s working and customer service impacts. In addition to that focus groups, observations and projective methods will also be made use of. Data will be collected by using secondary sources. These sources include the website articles which are found to be linked to the topic and different journal articles related to the topic. Newspaper and magazines will also serve as a medium to provide secondary data. For the analysis part, the study would make a use of various relevant analytical as well as statistical tools that fit the criteria of the analysis. Quantitative problem statement: In addition to the qualitative problems associated with the act of HIPAA, it has also been observed that it also impacts various institutes in quantitative terms. The problem statement in this regard is related to the costs associated with the compliance of HIPAA (Kilbridge 348: 1423-1424). The first and foremost cost that HIPAA regulations induce is in terms of training all the employees of the organization in protection of patients’ privacy which requires quite an investment on part of the organization (Kilbridge 348: 1423-1424). Another cost inducing impact of HIPAA is the notice of privacy related to the use of patient information in the organization that has to be given to every patient under its regulations. Such an imposition of printing a multipage for each and every patient, even for as small an amount as few cents a piece, can be substantial. Many organizations even have to install new information systems to keep up with all the tracking regulations which in turn add to all their costs (Kilbridge 348: 1423-1424). HIPAA also imposes the rule of keeping a record of all the disclosures of patient information other than that of treatment, payment and operations that also necessitates the production of a system of increased policies and procedures to keep track of all paper records and electronic information that requires even more investment (Kilbridge 348: 1423-1424). Other than that another cost inducing aspect of HIPAA includes the requirement of revising all the business contracts with the associated organizations to bind them to the HIPAA policies which requires resources. Along with that increased resources are also required for the implementation of standards f electronic transactions along with electronic security requirements (Kilbridge 348: 1423-1424). The above considerations have also been looked upon in various studies such as those carried out in The New England Journal of Medicine (Kilbridge 348: 1423-1424) and Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety (Williams et al 34.1: 27-35). Quantitative Purpose Statement: To analyze the costs associated with the implementation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act to the organizations having to follow it. Methodology: For the analysis of the costs associated with HIPAA a causal research would be used which would determine the cause and effect relationship of HIPAA regulations and the organizations’ over all costs. This study would constitute of primary data collection of a sample of clinical organizations having to follow HIPAA regulations before and after the implementation of this act. The study would also determine the sum total of all the costs associated with the compliance of HIPAA. For the analysis part of the study, the appropriate statistical tools would be made use of for the deduction of final results. References Ness, Roberta. “Influence of the HIPAA privacy rule on health research”. The Journal of the American Medical Association 298.18 (2007): 2164-2170. Darves, Bonnie. “From minor annoyances to treatment delays: physicians feeling fallout of HIPAA privacy laws”. American College of Physicians (2003) Web, 29th Oct, 2010. http://www.acpinternist.org/archives/2003/09/privacy.htm Hovis, Karrie & Veillon, Dianna “HIPAA privacy rule: the debate continues”. Clinical Laboratory Service 16.2 (2003): 85-87. Kilbridge, Peter. “The cost of HIPAA compliance” The New England Journal of Medicine, 348 (2003): 1423-1424. Williams, Arthur; Herman, David; Moriarty, James; Beebe, Timothy; Bruggeman, Sandra; Klavetter, Eric; Steger, Paul & Bartz, Janet. “HIPAA costs and patient perceptions of privacy safeguards at Mayo clinic” 34.1 (2008): 27-35. Read More