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HIPAA protects patient privacy, enhances security, and provides rights that help patients understand and control their PHI use and disclosure. Signed patient authorization forms are required for most disclosures, but there are exceptions. To ensure compliance, it’s important to log these exceptions in an accounting of disclosures form, but not all exceptions are applicable. In

On November 28, 2022, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in collaboration with HHS through OCR. This proposal is designed to update the confidentiality of patient records regarding substance use disorders (SUD). The SAMHSA “42 CFR Part 2” addresses the opioid crisis by helping people feel

“ChartRequest is absolutely worth the time, it saves a lot of time, and it makes life a lot easier.” – Shannon Raetsch, Compliance Liaison for Mid Atlantic Retina Mid Atlantic Retina at Wills Eye Hospital is a leader in eyecare with 22 specialists in 17 locations across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. Founded in 1974,

On December 1, 2022, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released a bulletin discussing the relationship between protected health information (PHI) and tracking technology.  Protecting sensitive health information is a core responsibility of medical organizations. This bulletin proves that out of sight should not mean out of

This is the second installment of our Cures Act Fact Sheet series, covering electronic health information and information blocking exceptions. If you missed it, click here to find the first issue of our 21st Century Cures Act Fact Sheet Series. What are the Information Blocking Exceptions?

The 21st Century Cures Act is shaking up the healthcare industry, and the expansive nature of the legislation complicates compliance. At ChartRequest, we understand that hectic healthcare environments can make reading 320 dense pages of legislation difficult.  That’s why we’ve read it for you. To help you feel confident moving forward as the Cures Act

Sometimes multiple negative factors combine to create major issues. We’ve talked about the medical staffing shortage before, and we’ve covered the constant risk of hackers in healthcare. These two issues have fused, as a Russian hacker group called the Karakurt Gang targets healthcare organizations during this time of weakened security. As the rate of cyberattacks

Our goal at ChartRequest is to make the exchange of PHI quick and easy. We aim to break down data silos in healthcare by developing the fastest, most secure software solution possible. We hope you’re as excited as we are about what’s new.  Check out our latest updates to the ChartRequest platform. Existing Feature Enhancements

The CDC designed the new COVID-19 guidelines in hopes of providing the strongest public health protection with the least day-to-day disruption.

On August 7, 2022, the United States Senate approved the $750 billion Inflation Reduction Act. Next, the House of Representatives will vote on it before sending it to President Biden‘s desk. If the bill passes, it will offer relief to millions of Americans struggling to keep up with rapid inflation.  Update: President Biden signed the

On July 15, 2022, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced their most recent batch of healthcare organizations penalized for impeding patients’ rights in regards to their medical records. These 11 new penalties raise the total number of organizations penalized for the 2019 Right of Access Initiative to 38. So why is this significant? This

On July 21, 2022, Amazon agreed to spend $3.9 billion to acquire One Medical, a membership-based primary care practice that provides clinical services to approximately 736,000 patients across 17 (soon 19) United States markets.

Our goal at ChartRequest is to make the exchange of PHI quick and easy. We aim to break down data silos in healthcare by developing the fastest, most secure software solution possible. We hope you’re as excited as we are about what’s new.  Check out our latest updates to the ChartRequest platform. Existing Feature Enhancements

With the announcement of the public health emergency extension on Friday, July 15, 2022, it’s a good time to review the effect COVID-19 has had on telehealth in the United States. Telehealth, or telemedicine, has been a hot topic over the past few years due to the global COVID-19 health crisis. As scientists worked around

Telehealth, or telemedicine, is a method of medical assessment that connects patients and providers for digital appointments. While this practice didn’t truly surge in the United States until the 2020 pandemic, telehealth has been around for over 50 years. The First Telephone Call In March 1876, telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell sent the first electronic

Facebook is facing a lawsuit after its Meta Pixel tracker logged information related to patient appointments with 33 of the top 100 USA hospitals.

When crafting the Omnibus Final Rule, HHS wanted to incorporate provisions of the HITECH Rule into HIPAA to boost business associate accountability. Additionally, they aimed to revise inconvenient rules and close gaps left by the previous rules. Before we dive into the Omnibus Final Rule, here’s a brief HIPAA overview. What is HIPAA? The Health

It can be hard to visualize abstract concepts, so let’s pretend that the inside of your house is transmitted data. To make sure people don’t enter without your permission, you likely use a lock on the front door. Think of this like encryption. Unfortunately, even with a lock, criminals may try to bust your door

In 1996, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This legislation changed the way healthcare providers could disclose patient information.  Today, HIPAA requires covered entities and their business associates to protect all individually identifiable health information (IIHI). There’s also personally identifiable information (PII), which is

Our goal at ChartRequest is to make the exchange of PHI quick and easy. We aim to break down data silos in healthcare by developing the fastest, most secure software solution possible. We hope you’re excited about what we have in store.  Check out our latest updates to the ChartRequest platform. Existing Feature Enhancements Updated

HIPAA exists to regulate protected health information (PHI) and protect patient privacy. While these regulations are essential for the secure transmission of electronic health records (EHR), they can certainly burden covered entities and their business associates. As challenging as it can be to maintain complete compliance, violations are far more burdensome. Between the steep penalties

Threat vectors, or attack vectors, are the avenues of breach hackers and cybercriminals use to access forbidden information. In healthcare, hackers will steal medical records for their personal gain, so it’s essential to block these vectors. In this post, we will go in-depth to help you and your team understand the threat and protect your

Change can be stressful and, in the case of setting up certified EHR systems, expensive. Many HIPAA covered entities were hesitant to adopt an electronic PHI solution. To change this, the HITECH Act included large financial incentives to covered entities who adopted and meaningfully used such technology. As electronic health record (EHR) technology continues to

HHS developed the Breach Notification Rule as an addition to HIPAA to ensure covered entities and business associates take responsibility for and inform patients of breaches to their protected health information. In this article, we’ll go over what your team needs to know to help you ensure compliance. To learn more about the Privacy Rule,

Guarding patient protected health information is a mandatory aspect of healthcare today. HIPAA originally set forth to regulate how and when medical information can be disclosed, but there were gaps. To fill these gaps, HHS developed a series of additional rules. The Security Rule is one of them. If you’d like to learn more about

  Our goal at ChartRequest is to make the exchange of PHI quick and easy. We aim to break down data silos in healthcare by developing the fastest, most secure software solution possible. We hope you’re excited about what we have in store. Check out our latest updates to the ChartRequest platform. New Platform Features

The Privacy Rule was one of the first examples of legislation in the United States that enhanced patient rights. This rule is the first addition to HIPAA, and it continues to shape how medical records are handled. In this post, we will cover what you need to know to be compliant with the Privacy Rule.

Texting is fast, easy, and convenient. According to Statista, Americans sent 2,200 billion text messages in the United States in 2020. It’s a great way to keep in touch with friends, family, and colleagues that can help convey all sorts of information. With this in mind, it’s fair to ask what role texting should play

What is the 21st Century Cures Act? Are you ready for the 2022 regulatory deadlines for the 21st Century Cures Act approaching? To protect yourself, your organization, your staff, and your patients, it’s essential that you prepare for continued compliance. Let’s start with the basics before we dive into what you need to know. In

Of all the methods of medical records release, none pass the records through more hands than shipping via delivery services. It is, of course, illegal for anybody but the recipient to tamper with mail. So is mail a safe method of medical records exchange? Is mailing medical records HIPAA compliant? HIPAA is a complicated set

As fax machines grow increasingly outdated, it seems the healthcare industry is one of the few that still uses them. They’re one of the more basic ways to maintain HIPAA compliance because there’s less gray area, but there are tradeoffs. In this article, we’ll cover some of the pros and cons of using fax machines

There are plenty of ways to exchange protected health information, but is email one of them? It’s more complicated than a simple yes or no, there are several factors at play. With the high costs of HIPAA violations, it’s important to be absolutely sure that your organization is using email compliantly.  Is email HIPAA compliant?

Why do you need to worry about releasing medical records? Medical records contain personal information that hackers and identity thieves want. As such, it is the responsibility of all who interact with protected health information (PHI) to make sure it’s secure.  The regulations set by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the

Integrating with your EHR system Electronic health records (EHR) revolutionized health information management (HIM). Medical professionals were no longer required to keep filing cabinets filled with paper records for every single visit. Although the financial incentives for EHR adoption outlined in the HITECH Act led to almost every medical practice in the United States making

Simplify the request process with ChartRequest Whether you choose to fulfill medical records requests in-house or allow our team of HIPAA experts to handle them for you, your users will be using the same interface to submit requests. Like our care coordination interface for healthcare professionals, we offer unique interfaces for both patients and legal

No great mind is developed in a vacuum. Socrates taught Plato, Plato taught Aristotle, and Aristotle passed his knowledge on to Alexander the Great. Before your medical staff can help build your organization, they must learn from you. Every great teacher began a student To adequately train your staff to handle the HIPAA-compliant release of

Signing up for a ChartRequest account is quick and easy, but there are a few steps you should take before releasing medical records. This article will cover some of the key administrative features of ChartRequest so you can ensure your organizational information is always accurate. Edit your organization’s information During the onboarding process, you must

Our goal at ChartRequest is to make the exchange of PHI quick and easy. We aim to break down data silos in healthcare by developing the fastest, most secure software solution possible. We hope you’re excited about what we have in store.  Check out our latest updates to the ChartRequest platform. Custodian Visibility Improvements •

Insourcing the release of information means processing medical records requests using your own team. Our ROI solution makes it easy for your medical staff to hit the ground running with health information exchange and care coordination. Determine the ROI needs of your organization Healthcare organizations can vary wildly from the smallest private practices to the

Why is there a staffing shortage? When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, few anticipated that we’d still be struggling in 2022. When the lockdown did not stop the virus, fewer people were willing to work in higher-risk jobs. This drove high levels of healthcare employee turnover. There’s likely no riskier industry when it comes to

Medical staff worldwide have worked especially hard since the beginning of the pandemic, enduring brutal hours and unflinching urgency. Unfortunately, the healthcare industry has the second-highest rate of employee turnover behind hospitality. Your medical staff is invaluable From huge hospitals to small practices, healthcare facilities of all sizes depend on their staff for all the

Our goal at ChartRequest is to make the exchange of PHI quick and easy. We believe in quality over quantity, so we have some updates today that didn’t quite make it in our larger update earlier this week.  Check out our latest updates to the ChartRequest platform. “No Radiology Records” Users can now select “No

Health information exchange is an essential part of running a healthcare practice. U.S. laws require healthcare providers to release medical records to authorized individuals. These laws also penalize delays and unsafe methods of exchange. Should your healthcare facility hire new staff to handle protected health information or adopt a medical records exchange software? The costs

Our goal at ChartRequest is to make the exchange of PHI quick and easy. We aim to break down data silos in healthcare by developing the fastest, most secure software solution possible. We hope you’re excited about what we have in store.  Check out our latest updates to the ChartRequest platform. Trusted Provider Network  

Every time someone goes to a doctor’s appointment, the healthcare provider creates and stores a record for later review. On the patient side, they are easy to forget. But for healthcare providers, front desk staff, and hospital administrators, handling electronic health records can be a major part of the job.  Table of Contents What are

Healthcare providers save about half a million lives every year, but they do not do this alone. They work with all sorts of different professionals and tools to keep the various cogs turning. With the importance of protecting patients’ personally identifiable information, it’s no surprise that the Business Associate Agreement came to be.  What is

Named after the silos that keep grain safe from the outside world, data silos, also known as information silos, are large collections of information that can only be retrieved and viewed by authorized individuals. In healthcare, data silos generally refer to incompatible electronic health record (EHR) systems. Without data integration capabilities, it becomes significantly harder

History credits the invention of paper to Cai Lun, a Han dynasty court official, in the year 105. After watching how bees and wasps build their hives, he used plant fibers and rags to form the first sheets. Today, paper companies churn out over 300 million tons of paper annually. Yet, this is still not

HIPAA compliance is the most important part of handling protected health information. This law legally binds covered entities and their business associates to follow regulations when handling protected medical information. But what does HIPAA compliance involve? Table of Contents What is HIPAA? What are covered entities? The Privacy Rule The Security Rule The Breach Notification

Medical records exchange can be a complicated, burdensome process, even for healthcare professionals. This goes doubly so for people who are not used to how the healthcare system works. Legal professionals seeking to retrieve medical records for a case must adhere to HIPAA regulations just like healthcare providers. But where do you start? Table of

Healthcare providers and staff work hard every day to provide the best care possible, but nobody is perfect. Electronic health record (EHR) systems have made recording medical information easier than ever. Unfortunately, the copy and paste capabilities of EHRs have also made recurring mistakes more common. Thanks to the sheer number of EHRs at most

When medical records contain the key to winning a case, they can become key evidence in court. To get them, legal professionals can send a subpoena to a healthcare facility requesting a copy of the records. If you are a patient in this situation, you may be wondering what exactly this entails. While your medical

In the modern age, everything moves at lightning speed. Ever since telegraph hand operators started transmitting messages at a then-blistering 25-40 words per minute, our technology has improved by leaps and bounds. In 1924, a fax machine could transmit a single sheet of paper in about 6 minutes, and today a standard email can send

For most people, there is nothing a fax machine can do that a computer with an internet connection can’t do faster. Despite the improvements to the fax machine’s speed and capabilities over decades of development, most are likely collecting dust.  In its day though, the facsimile machine was groundbreaking technology. Samuel Morse sent the first

Requesting medical records is a complicated process, and requesting old records can be especially frustrating. It‘s frustrating to submit a request and wait weeks for a response, only to hear that the records are unavailable. This is especially true when discarded records are relevant to current treatment.  Healthcare providers must retain medical records by law,

Electronic health records (EHRs) are a paperless method of health information management (HIM). The EHR format is designed to be easily shared between healthcare providers, so EHRs include information from every clinician who has taken part in the patient’s care. If kept on an EHR database, any authorized healthcare staff can access the records in

In 1996, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) gave patients the right to obtain copies of most of their medical records. Since then, with the advent of new technology designed to put the power into patient hands, it’s easier than ever to request medical records for a personal health record (PHR). Patients no

Are you a patient wondering, “How can I get my medical records quickly?”  Perhaps you’re a parent trying to figure out the best way to get a doctor’s signature on a sports form for your child. Or maybe you’re an employee looking for a hassle-free way to get a disability form.  In all of these

When a patient needs specialized care from multiple healthcare providers, medical records are integral to ensuring a positive patient experience. With the frequently hectic and urgent nature of providing healthcare services, easy access to patient health information is invaluable. To help provide the highest-quality care possible, care coordination is key.  What is care coordination? Care

Healthcare facilities, like restaurants and retail stores, are dependent on the good reviews and repeat business that comes with providing people the best patient experience possible. Word of mouth advertising and online reviews drive new patient acquisition, especially in places with heavy competition. Accepting new patients is important for a medical practice, as is retaining

Electronic health information is at constant risk of attack by hackers worldwide hoping to make a profit. Whether the hacker uses ransomware to lock up data until the facility makes a cryptocurrency exchange or they sell the information on the black market, cybercriminals stand to make a lot of money by stealing the electronic version

Every patient deserves a high quality of medical care when they need treatment. In some nightmarish cases though, doctors make irreversible medical mistakes. This can cause horrible damages such as heart attack, brain injury, blood clots, or wrongful death. A 2016 study by Johns Hopkins estimated that preventable medical errors cause over 250,000 deaths annually

Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) are one of the most important safety nets in the United States healthcare system. By offering treatment regardless of patients’ ability to pay or their lack of insurance, the healthcare providers and support staff at FQHCs help keep underprivileged communities healthy. Between the increasing rate of patients without adequate insurance

Medical imaging systems offer healthcare providers invaluable insight regarding internal issues without requiring invasive techniques. Whether you’re a patient in need of an old x-ray or a referring physician trying to share patient imaging records with a specialist, you need your health records requests fulfilled as quickly as possible.  In the past, healthcare providers had

Requesting your medical records is oftentimes a complex, burdensome process. Because your protected health information (PHI) is highly sensitive, there are strict regulations regarding who may release it, who can access it, and under which circumstances it can be released.  As outlined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), a healthcare provider that

With an extensive list of over 50 locations across southern and central California, Acuity Eye Group, a physician-owned and vertically integrated ophthalmology provider, has established itself as the largest ophthalmology group in the Western USA.  Starting in November 2005 as a single retina practice in Pasadena, they now employ over 100 ophthalmologists and optometrists with

Medical records retrieval is a complicated and time-consuming process that often requires additional action to ensure a timely return. When you are gathering medical documentation for your law firm, the last thing you want to do is get stuck waiting. Whether you retrieve medical charts for your firm personally or delegate the task to your

After a year defined by a worldwide pandemic, a new generation witnessed the havoc a contagion can wreak. Unfortunately, the future of public health may hold more grim chapters. Drug-resistant bacteria are a universal concern, as over 700,000 people die each year from previously curable infections and diseases. If antibiotic-resistant infections go unchecked, issues as

For many, adjusting to remote work has been a challenge. It involves adapting to a new routine and learning to use new programs to aid in collaboration and communication. Health information managers (HIM) and other remote release of information (ROI) staff members work with patient data every day. It’s essential for them to protect it.

Seven Strategies for Success It’s an essential step towards building your case – but it’s oftentimes the most burdensome. For lawyers and attorneys, retrieving your client’s medical records can be a lengthy and complicated process. Whether your client suffered an injury at work, in a motor vehicle accident, or is pursuing a malpractice lawsuit, you

Since the introduction of HIPAA, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has taken care to ensure its rules and regulations keep up with new technologies and practices. What you need to know The deadline has passed for comments regarding the proposed changes to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The U.S.

Unburden your in-house staff with our medical data retrieval services for lawyers.

Your health records are protected under HIPAA and the HITECH Act. Here’s what you need to know about your rights regarding the privacy and security of your PHI.

From seeing a specialist to applying for life insurance, here are 7 common reasons you might need to fill out a release of information form. There are several common reasons for a release of information, including for medical treatment purposes, medical billing, insurance billing, health studies, legal proceedings, and marketing purposes. Sometimes a third party

The release of information process contains more than 40 steps that can be divided into five phases. Here’s a closer look at what happens during each stage.

Find out how the ChartRequest release of information platform can help you streamline your ROI workflows. See how quickly and easily it can be implemented.

Storing PHI in the cloud? Make sure the cloud is HIPAA compliant and observe these Security Rule, Privacy Rule, and Breach Notification Rule considerations.

Cash and in-person billing can promote the spread of the coronavirus. Learn how online bill payment during the ROI process can protect your staff and requestors.

The coronavirus can last for up to 96 hours on certain surfaces including screens and paper. Learn how to protect your staff and requestors against COVID-19.

Health information exchange occurs when healthcare providers securely share PHI online. Learn how HIE works, what the benefits are and how HIE systems protect PHI.

The demand for medical records isn’t decreasing anytime soon. According to a recent study by Pew Research Center, hospital and clinic executives see an increasing demand for accurate and secure medical records exchange.  How is your healthcare organization handling the release of this critical information? The fact is, many healthcare organizations will resort to mailing

Let ChartRequest Help You With Your Retirement Physicians spend their entire career working to care for their patients as a doctor and now as you are getting ready to retire and spend time with your loved ones or have planned out of a country trip or fulfill your long lost dreams. Physicians who are looking

If you were buying a cell phone, you most likely wouldn’t go with the oldest model available. You also wouldn’t let your dentist pull a tooth simply because you have a cavity. And you certainly wouldn’t spend 11 days on a boat to get to England when you could fly there in a matter of

ChartRequest is proud to be recognized on the Inc. 5000 List Inc. Magazine ranked MyHealth, the parent company of ChartRequest, 184th on its 38th annual Inc. 5000, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment—

We are proud to announce the release of new user management enhancements. Now you have even more control over how your team members access and use ChartRequest, our release of information platform.

Serving aboard a nuclear powered, fast-attack submarine in the early 90’s, we once conducted naval war games with surface fleets of several nations off the coast of Portugal.  On one operation, our mission was to hunt and “destroy” an aircraft carrier (a rather large target), while avoiding anti-submarine warfare (ASW) tactics deployed by “enemy” aircraft

There are several approaches to releasing Protected Health Information (PHI).  Methods are often driven by the size or the specific needs to the organization.   Some providers have set up workflows, got them underway some time ago, and they sort of just worked.  Any pain revealed in the process may not be immediately evident, or perhaps