Knowledge Bank

The purpose of this study was to investigate the knowledge possessed by professionally licensed audiologists regarding the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and its implications for clinical audiological practices. The study also aimed to examine the training and enforcement of HIPAA regulations in audiology clinics and facilities. A 30-question survey was distributed to professionally licensed audiologists in Ohio via an online survey instrument. The survey focused on audiologists’ knowledge of HIPAA regulations as well as corresponding sources of education and training. Subsequently, six pre-generated discussion questions were electronically distributed to Ohio audiologists. The discussion questions focused on the HIPAA training and education provided to audiologists in their employment settings. The results of the study indicated that audiologists possess limited knowledge regarding HIPAA regulations and that the majority of audiologists currently receive annual training and education through electronic sources. The results of the current study demonstrate the need for enhanced HIPAA training strategies in educating audiologists regarding the importance of federal privacy and security regulations as well as compliance with them.