AHIMA Toolkit Prepares Healthcare Professionals For On-Site HIPAA Audits

Phase 2 audits continue for compliance with HIPAA requirements

The American Health Information Management Association’s (AHIMA) has published its newest toolkit to assist organizations in preparing for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Phase 2 audits. 

The “External HIPAA Audit Readiness Toolkit” addresses all the key aspects of Phase 2 audits, including helping covered entities and business associates understand their respective requirements. The toolkit also features best practices and tips to meet all the necessary responsibilities. 

The Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) Phase 2 Audits – which include desk and on-site visits – began last year.

“Phase 2 audits are broader and require a more detailed level of compliance with HIPAA privacy, security and breach notification requirements,” said AHIMA CEO Lynne Thomas Gordon, MBA, RHIA, CAE, FACHE, FAHIMA. “This toolkit can serve as a comprehensive resource to help healthcare organizations and health information management (HIM) professionals prepare for audits.”

The audit program is part of OCR’s overall health information privacy, security and breach notification compliance regulations. The Phase 2 audits will be conducted on site and will examine a broader scope of HIPAA requirements than those addressed during the initial desk audits.

Topics of AHIMA’s audit readiness toolkit and its appendices include:

• An introduction to the legal requirements involved in the HIPAA audits
• The entirety of the OCR HIPAA Audit process,
• A guide on how providers can prepare for the audits, including an expansion on the HIPAA Audit Protocol
• Checklists for HIPAA audit steps, forms, policies and procedures
• A list of potential OCR documents requested
• A master policy template for the privacy and security compliance program

The toolkit is free for AHIMA members and can be found online in AHIMA’s HIM Body of Knowledge and on AHIMA’s web store.

About AHIMA
The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) represents more than 103,000 health information professionals in the United States and around the world. AHIMA is committed to promoting and advocating for high quality research, best practices and effective standards in health information and to actively contributing to the development and advancement of health information professionals worldwide. AHIMA’s enduring goal is quality healthcare through quality information. For more information, visit www.ahima.org.