The American Health Information Management Association’s (AHIMA) has released its newest toolkit, the “External HIPAA Audit Readiness Toolkit,” to assist organizations in preparing for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Phase 2 audits.
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. According to AHIMA, 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.
“Phase 2 audits are broader and require a more detailed level of compliance with HIPAA privacy, security and breach notification requirements,” AHIMA CEO Lynne Thomas Gordon, said in a statement. “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.
The toolkit is free for AHIMA members.
