HIPAA (health insurance portability and accountability) plays a vital role in medical translation in the USA. This act was introduced back in 1996. It is a part of the social security act. The authorities planned to work on a body such as HIPAA to make sure that the healthcare information flow, establishing procedures for the maintenance and regulating the personal information with safety and privacy. As the healthcare industry was not taking care of personal information. HIPAA also gives detailed attention to the limitation of healthcare insurance coverage. The regulations are related to the primary healthcare organizations and providers as well as their business associates. It is to ensure that there are proper procedures and systems to protect the privacy and confidentiality of the protected health information while it is received, worked on, transferred, and shared or handled for that matter.
What is HIPAA?
HIPAA stands for health insurance portability and accountability. It has a strong impact on the healthcare industry in the United States. The United States is a multicultural country and home to diverse cultures. People here speak more than 350 languages other than English. Spanish and French are also very common in the States. Therefore, the best HIPAA compliant translation services are evident to facilitate people who speak languages other than English. Furthermore, it is why HIPAA has a great impact on the translation industry, and a lot of these trends shape the content.
HIPAA comprises five titles that cover the health insurance of workers and electric transmission of particular administrative data of patients among others.
The government has established this body to ensure privacy rules to reinforce the transaction rules.
Four main objectives of the HIPAA
HIPAA and regulatory translation are a must when it comes to the medical industry. As medical companies and products have to consider a lot of factors before launching their products in a new region. Therefore, getting the content approved by the regulatory authorities is a must. HIPPA came into being in 1996 and there were four main objectives behind establishing this body.
- The main focus was insurance portability and it includes coverage that American workers and their families can get benefits even if they lose or change their jobs.
- Another objective was to work on reducing abuse and fraud at healthcare places.
- It also works on providing standards based on industries for healthcare information on multiple processes. Additionally, it also includes electronic billing.
- The confidential handling of the patient data and respecting their privacy to protect the health information.
HIPAA has been working really efficiently since its inception. However, in order to make others understand the HIPAA, and its objectives, the translation of the HIPPA mandate, its complaints and regulations as well as the complaints which people come with and register with HIPAA are significant to translate into the language of the addressees. The use of the codes, sets, and patient identifiers can only help the audience and a layman when the translation of the whole content is available in all those languages that are popular in the country.
Requirements for the HIPAA compliance
A business or medical company that ever wants to be with the HIPAA and wishes to become a part of the HIPAA has to meet certain requirements. This term talks about a company or organization which provides relevant services. Moreover, a translation company that works on regulatory compliance translation, medical interpretation, or medical transcription services is also an associate of the HIPAA-covered entity in the United States.
HIPAA mainly focuses on the protection of the patient’s privacy and making sure that identifiable information remains safe with the companies. HIPAA takes strict actions against the violation of the allowable uses and disclosure of patients’ information. This body also makes sure that the business associates maintain the security of the electronic health data.
The protected health information includes
- Patients’ whereabouts, names, and addresses with the zip codes
- Important dates including birth, death, admission, and the discharge
- Contact information such as phone, fax, and email
- Social security number
- Medical records number
- Account numbers
- Health plan beneficiary numbers
- Device identifiers and serial numbers
- Health plan beneficiary numbers
- URLs, IP addresses
These are all extremely important details of the patients which patients want to be secure. Hence, are also important to translate for not only patients but also for the kind consideration of the hospital staff. The hospital staff often misinterprets things and can provide treatment accordingly. A translation company thus should make sure that the medical translators and interpreters who work on clinical trial translation services and other medical-related content are well aware of HIPAA’s rules and regulations. They should also make sure that the translators receive the certification from HIPAA so that they have no ambiguities while translating the content. They should undergo HIPAA training to get the certification. Moreover, the company should guarantee a good security system to ensure confidentiality and security.
Security Checks
A few security checks may include
Administrative safeguards
The medical translation company should ensure while working with HIPAA and for the certified clinical trial translation services that the security management process including security training and awareness as well as information access management is under a strict check of administrative staff. It should also include a business associate contract, and there should be a regular contingency plan for evacuation.
Physical safeguards
It talks about the device and medical control, workstation security, and use of workstations with facility access control.
Technical safeguard
This includes access control on information, secured transmission, entity or personal authentication, and audit control.
Moreover other than these safeguards the translation agency should make sure that they get the translators and interpreters to sign non-closure agreements (NDAs) before working on professional clinical trial translation services and other medical texts.
Final words
HIPAA is an American regulatory body that works for the right of patients and privacy. All medical companies as well as medical translation companies have to register with the HIPAA to work efficiently in the United States. Moreover, in order to cater to patients coming from diverse cultures translation of HIPAA’s objectives and how the process works should be available to use whenever needed.
