Did you know that Hazard Communication violations were the second most frequently cited violation in 2015? Besides being plentiful, these violations are also expensive! On August 2, 2016 OSHA increased its penalties for all violations, including those related to Hazard …
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You’ve put on your favorite brand of mask and tossed on a new pair of disposable gloves, which means you’re protected, compliant, and ready to see your first patient, right? Not necessarily. Just because you have a mask on, doesn’t …
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The fact of the matter is this: medical emergencies are a frequent occurrence in dental offices, and being prepared to handle such an emergency properly and efficiently is of paramount importance both for your patients and your practice. By being …
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Of the major threats that we see our customers presently facing, the most damaging of them is a breach of patient records. Unlike the cyber attacks that we read about regularly that center on elaborate, well-planned attacks perpetrated by a …
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Established in 1971, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) primary mission is workplace safety in all industries. While many of the OSHA regulations apply to dentistry, dental professionals focus mainly on the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (Section 1030) and the …
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Since the Privacy Rule became effective in 2003, the HIPAA laws have become increasingly complex, with very detailed compliance requirements that come with stiff fines and penalties for noncompliance. As a covered entity, you are also required to follow the …
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OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard is designed to ensure chemical safety in the workplace so that information about the identities and hazards of the chemicals must be available and understandable to workers. There are several ways that Hazard Communication impacts dental …
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CDC, OSHA, OSAP, ADHA. These are all organizations that require dental offices to be compliant with infection control regulations. Practices that do not meet these standards are subject to hefty fines and in extreme cases, loss of license. Beyond the …
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The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) ensures safe and healthful working conditions for employees by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance. Dental offices have the responsibility to provide a safe workplace that does …
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Let’s face it. Complying with OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard is a headache. It involves understanding the regulations, gathering SDSs, generating chemical reports, and much more. Because of this, many dentists either do nothing or do what they believe to be …
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Recently, I receive a frantic email from an orthodontic client. A team member had emailed a patient’s diagnostic letter to the referring dentist. But the patient had specifically stated she did not want any of her information emailed unless it …
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All healthcare professionals would agree that maintaining confidentiality and privacy of patient information is of utmost importance. The requirements for maintaining confidentiality and privacy are strictly mandated under the HIPAA laws. The privacy and security regulations apply equally to all …
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We’ve been asking you to submit your most pressing HIPAA-related social media questions, and a couple came in that I think are important, common questions. Question 1: How do you handle the release of information process in light of HIPAA …
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A few months ago, I wrote an article called Social Media Legal Considerations for Dentistry. Since then, I’ve received dozens of comments, questions and feedback. Many of you were simply grateful to have some clarity on basic questions like whether signed …
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There is often misunderstanding as to what OSHA regulates in a dental facility. OSHA, in fact, is concerned with only one thing—the safety of employees. OSHA, which is an acronym for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, was formed through …
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Social media is a very common piece of marketing strategy for many businesses, including dental practices, and often these businesses look to their customers to help create content. Customers are generally asked to either provide content (like reviews, testimonies, success …
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In general, dentists want to comply with OSHA regulations. After all, who would willingly risk the astronomical fines of up to $5K and more per incident per day? The problem is that many dentists struggle to understand the regulations and …
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HIPAA and Release of Information regulations can create sticky situations. Frequently, I am asked how to handle release of information to the caregiver of an elderly patient after the information has already been released. Let’s try to secure that barn …
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With new OSHA regulations coming into play, it’s time to rethink your bulky Material Safety Data Sheet binder. New OSHA Regulation – Hazard Communication For all hazardous products, OSHA requires dental offices to maintain Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) in …
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If you’re a frequent reader of Off The Cusp, then you’ll know we cover a lot of topics and hear from a lot of different contributors who have a huge range of experiences in the dental industry. I manage this …
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In February of this year the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) announced its plans for the Phase 2 mandatory HIPAA compliance audits. Since that time, several details surrounding the HIPAA audits, including the timeline, have become moving targets—literally. Initially, the …
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Setting up for the next patient is a natural part of your daily workflow. You wouldn’t dream of not having an instrument pack or cassette along with disposable items ready before seating the patient. It promotes efficiency, reduces stress and …
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At dinner in a restaurant recently with my husband, who is a psychologist, and one of his colleagues, I listened to them “talk shop” about therapists and confidentiality. As I listened to them chat about their challenges, I thought of …
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“Which contact time do we follow for our disinfectant – there are three times listed?” “How do I get our students to comply with PPE?” “Do I have to wear my gloves? My hands get sweaty!” I could fill tomes …
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As we mentioned previously, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced updates to the HIPAA Privacy, Security and Breach Notification Rules. These updates were published in a new regulation popularly called the “Omnibus Rule.” The Omnibus Rule became …
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