HIPAA: Rein in Your Risks Before a Crisis Hits

Why This Topic Matters

Conducting and documenting a risk analysis is central to HIPAA Security Rule compliance, and gaps can lead to enforcement exposure. The article helps readers understand the scope of required planning and the kinds of organizational safeguards that should be reviewed.

Article Sections

1. Context and compliance emphasis during the public health emergency

   Introduces why HIPAA compliance remains important during the COVID-19 public health emergency and frames the article’s focus on electronic information handling.

2. Heed This Expert Security Rule Insight

   Summarizes expert commentary on the need for risk analysis and the general approach to identifying organizational risk points and assessing them.

3. Add These 8 Steps to Your Security Planning

   Outlines a structured, high-level process for examining scope, data flows, threats, existing safeguards, likelihood, impact, risk level, and documentation.

4. Small practice advice

   Discusses how the compliance approach may differ for smaller organizations and notes the importance of documenting risk analysis activities and related security processes.

5. Resources

   Points readers to external reference materials from NIST and HHS OCR for further information on Security Rule guidance.