2019 National HIPAA Compliance Benchmark Survey Report
Results from the first national HIPAA Compliance Benchmark Survey (Survey) have been analyzed and prepared for release. Strategic Management Services, in partnership with SAI Global, conducted the first national HIPAA Compliance Benchmark Survey in order to gain insight into how organizations handle their HIPAA operations, as well as understand how they are responding to the pressure of new data privacy regulations and the increased scrutiny and enforcement environment addressing data breaches. More than 300 healthcare organizations participated, providing insights into the rapidly changing structure, responsibility, management, and oversight of HIPAA Privacy for healthcare entities and business associates. Many reported having relatively minimal staffing support for their Privacy Office operations, as well as an inconsistent approach to HIPAA oversight in organizations. Evidence from the Survey also suggests some confusion as to where HIPAA accountability should lie, including to whom the Privacy Officer should report to and how top-level management and/or the Board of Directors should be involved in HIPAA oversight. Operating a leanly staffed program is risky and may not be effective in avoiding enforcement penalties for non-compliance and data breaches. This is in the face of about half of respondents saying they have reported a HIPAA breach to OCR within the last year. A full preview briefing and conversation on all the results will be presented without charge by HIPAA experts, Catie Heindel and Lisa Shuman of Strategic Management Services, on Tuesday, September 10th at 2:00pm EDT. Participants will be provided access to an electronic copy of the full report. Registration is open to all at no charge.
