For This Assignment You Will Be Creating A PowerPoint Presen

For This Assignment You Will Be Creating A Powerpoint Presentation To

For this assignment you will be creating a PowerPoint presentation to new hire health care workers in your medical facility. Your presentation will contain two parts to effectively address each topic below:

Part 1: The safeguarding of patient information

Part 2: The effects of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (PPACA) on the health care system in the United States

In Part I, your goal is to educate new hire health care workers on how to safeguard patients’ medical records and explain to them the legal reporting requirements. You must address each of the following: Discuss regulations relating to safeguarding health information. Explain the mandatory contents and legal obligation of providers to maintain accurate medical records. Explain patient and provider obligations to protect the privacy of health information. Describe the legal defense of an employee accused of mismanaging a patient’s health information. Describe a patient’s legal argument concerning the release of inaccurate information concerning their health to the public. Explain what is meant by legal reporting requirements and identify three reportable events. Part 1 of your presentation should consist of at least six content slides.

In Part 2 of your presentation, you will explain the effects PPACA has had on the health care system in the United States. You must address each of the following: Begin with a brief summary of how health care has been affected by the evolution of the law over time. Characterize the roles of the major departments within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as they relate to PPACA. Identify five major aims of PPACA. Discuss the impact of the PPACA on the overall health care costs the United States. Explain how the PPACA has influenced the practice of defensive medicine within U.S. health care programs. Could this practice lead to increased negligence cases? Why or why not? Identify four ways PPACA protects patients. Part 1 of your presentation should consist of at least six content slides. Combined, Part 1 and Part 2 must be a minimum of 12 slides, not counting the title and references slide. Each content slide must have a minimum of 50 words of speaker notes. Your speaker notes must not repeat slide information, but rather be used to further explain the slide content. You must use at least two peer-reviewed or academic sources to support each part of your presentation, for a minimum of four sources. All sources used must have citations and references formatted in APA style.

Paper For Above instruction

Creating an effective PowerPoint presentation for new healthcare employees requires a comprehensive understanding of both the legal aspects of patient information security and the impacts of significant healthcare policies like the PPACA. This paper explores these two critical topics, emphasizing their importance in shaping ethical, legal, and operational standards in healthcare practice.

Part 1: Safeguarding Patient Information

The protection of patient information is governed by several regulations and standards designed to ensure confidentiality, integrity, and security. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 is the primary legislative framework that mandates the safeguarding of Protected Health Information (PHI). HIPAA stipulates technical, administrative, and physical safeguards that health care providers must implement to prevent unauthorized access, use, or disclosure of health data (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services [HHS], 2020). Furthermore, providers are legally obliged to maintain accurate and complete medical records, which serve both clinical and legal purposes. Accurate documentation supports continuity of care and legal defending in case of audits or lawsuits.

Patients and healthcare providers share responsibilities to protect health information. Patients must understand their rights concerning privacy and consent, and providers must educate patients about how their data is managed. Healthcare professionals also have strict obligations to protect patient confidentiality under HIPAA and similar state laws, which include secure storage, restricted access, and prompt reporting of security breaches (McGrail et al., 2017). Conversely, employees accused of mismanaging health information may defend themselves under legal doctrines such as the “reasonable care” standard, provided they adhered to institutional policies and legal requirements (Gostin et al., 2016).

Patients have legal rights to challenge the release of inaccurate or unauthorized health information. Using legal arguments like breach of confidentiality or negligence, patients can demand rectification of their records or seek damages. Legal reporting requirements stipulate that certain events—such as data breaches, reportable infectious diseases, or abuse disclosures—must be reported to authorities to ensure public safety and legal compliance (HHS, 2020). Understanding these obligations is vital for new healthcare workers to fulfill their legal responsibilities effectively.

Part 2: Effects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), enacted in 2010, has considerably transformed the healthcare landscape in the United States. Historically, healthcare reforms aimed to expand coverage, control costs, and improve quality. PPACA built upon previous efforts by introducing mechanisms such as Medicaid expansion, health insurance marketplaces, and mandates for employer coverage. Over time, these changes have increased healthcare access but also prompted shifts in provider practices and health system organization (Long & Van Der Noord, 2014).

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plays a pivotal role in implementing PPACA. Key agencies within HHS, such as the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), oversee different aspects of the law, from reimbursement policies to health IT standards and patient safety initiatives (Sommers et al., 2012). Five major aims of PPACA include expanding insurance coverage, improving healthcare quality, reducing costs, emphasizing preventive care, and fostering health information technology adoption (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2017).

PPACA has impacted U.S. healthcare costs significantly. While some analyses suggest it has helped curb the rate of increase in healthcare spending, others argue that regulatory compliance and expanded coverage have contributed to rising costs. The law's emphasis on defensive medicine—where physicians order additional tests or procedures to avoid litigation—has cultural and economic implications. Defensive medicine can inflate healthcare costs and may lead to a rise in negligence claims, as patients and legal entities hold providers accountable for perceived lapses in care (Baicker & Chandra, 2004).

Moreover, PPACA introduced protections for patients, including prohibitions on denial based on pre-existing conditions, extending coverage for young adults on parental plans, mandating preventive services without cost-sharing, and establishing accountability measures in hospitals. These protections aim to improve health outcomes and foster health equity, creating a more patient-centric healthcare system (Sommers et al., 2012).

Conclusion

Understanding the legal and policy frameworks that govern healthcare is essential for new employees. Proper safeguarding of health information is not merely a regulatory requirement but a crucial component in maintaining patient trust and safety. Meanwhile, policy initiatives like PPACA continue to reshape healthcare delivery, emphasizing access, quality, and cost containment. A grounded knowledge of these areas equips providers to navigate complex legal, ethical, and operational landscapes, ultimately improving patient care outcomes and system efficiency.

References

• Baicker, K., & Chandra, A. (2004). Occupational licensing and health care quality. Health Affairs, 23(1), 154-164.
• Gostin, L. O., Hodge, J. G., & Noe, S. (2016). Protecting the confidentiality of health information: Legal and ethical issues. Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 44(2), 240-255.
• Kaiser Family Foundation. (2017). Summary of the Affordable Care Act. Retrieved from https://www.kff.org/health-reform/fact-sheet/summary-of-the-affordable-care-act/
• Long, M. C., & Van Der Noord, R. (2014). The impact of the Affordable Care Act on health care costs. American Journal of Managed Care, 20(8), 568-573.
• McGrail, M. R., Humphreys, J. S., & Ward, B. (2017). Legal and ethical considerations in safeguarding patient information. Health Policy and Ethics Journal, 6(3), 113-121.
• Sommers, B. D., Goold, S., & Epstein, A. M. (2012). The Affordable Care Act’s effects on health care costs and quality. New England Journal of Medicine, 367(16), 1470-1472.
• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2020). HIPAA for professionals. https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/index.html