HIPAA for Doulas
Does HIPAA apply to you as a doula? This class answers it.
Learn what HIPAA actually requires of you, get a certificate for your credentialing file, and keep three privacy templates you can use this week. Includes 1 CE contact hour.
- Birth photos
- Group chats
- Backup handoffs
- A lost phone
Your class includes 1 live Q&A session with me on Zoom, to use within 12 months.
Includes a certificate of completion and three templates. See everything $19 covers
Most doulas are told they have to be HIPAA compliant
Most independent doulas are not HIPAA covered entities, so the law usually does not bind them the way they think it does. That gap is where doulas get anxious, overpromise on intake forms, or copy a privacy policy they do not understand.
This class clears it up. You will learn when HIPAA applies to a doula, when it does not, and what to do about client privacy either way.
I never thought about how posting a situation can potentially have my client identified
Take an hour, get the answer, and keep the templates.
For doulas, new or practicing. Start any time and go at your own pace.
What you will learn in this class
The class is approved for 1 CE contact hour. By the end, you'll be able to:
- Does it apply to you?
Figure out whether HIPAA applies to your doula practice, and when credentialing or a business associate agreement would bring you under it.
- Protected information
Spot protected health information, including the 18 identifiers that show up in birth work, and know what you can share, how little to share, and when you need written consent.
- Keeping it secure
Protect your phone, messages, notes, and devices, and know what to do if you think client information got out.
- Real situations
Handle everyday situations like birth photos, social media, group chats, charting, backup handoffs, and hospital staff, and find the state and Medicaid rules that go beyond HIPAA.
Approved through DONA International, course number CEP002-019-W.
One hour, eleven short parts
Watch the class on your own schedule. Most of the time goes to the situations doulas actually run into. When one comes up in your own practice, bring it to a live Q&A with me.
- Why this training matters, and who is really covered4 min
- Who HIPAA applies to, and when credentialing makes you a business associate6 min
- Protected health information, ePHI, and the 18 identifiers8 min
- The Privacy Rule: use and disclosure, minimum necessary, and consent6 min
- The Security Rule: three safeguards and practical security7 min
- The Breach Notification Rule4 min
- Business associate agreements3 min
- Six real doula scenarios: birth photos, social media, group chats, charting, backup handoffs, and hospital staff14 min
- Scenario spotlight: a missing phone3 min
- State and program rules: HIPAA is the floor3 min
- Knowledge check, attestation, and certificate2 min
Templates you keep: a confidentiality clause for your client contract, a photo and story consent form, and a privacy checklist.
Also included: a quick reference sheet of the 18 HIPAA identifiers, and a certificate of completion.
HIPAA keeps coming up and you want a straight answer
You're getting ready for credentialing, a hospital program, or Medicaid billing.
You keep seeing HIPAA mentioned and aren't sure what you actually have to do.
You want a clear, written privacy practice instead of a vague intention to be careful.
What you can do after this class
- Answer the HIPAA questionKnow whether HIPAA applies to your practice today, and what would change that.
- Put privacy in writingAdd a confidentiality clause to your client contract and keep a privacy checklist on file.
- Ask before you shareUse a photo and story consent form before a birth photo or story goes anywhere.
- Know what to do when something goes wrongHandle a lost phone or a text sent to the wrong person.
$19. Includes live Q&A with me and 1 CE contact hour.
In their words
I learned that PHI includes a lot more than I would have guessed, and to really think through the sharing of ANY kind of information related to a client or a birth. I liked the real life scenarios we were walked through - it helped me really understand how these concepts are applied in the doula space.
Being mindful of pictures and how even minor details can add up to identifiable information
Telling a quick birth story is personal identification.
About credentialing requirements
Some hospitals, agencies, and Medicaid programs ask doulas to complete a HIPAA training before they credential you. This class comes with a certificate of completion and may help meet that kind of requirement. Each program sets its own standard, so check with yours before you rely on it.
This class is education for doulas, not legal advice.
Who's teaching this
Hi, I'm Robin Elise Weiss.
My PhD is in public health, earned in a health management and systems sciences department, and I teach healthcare systems to undergraduate and graduate students.
I've also trained more than 10,000 doulas and attended more than 1,500 births. This class puts the rules in plain words for doula work.
PhD, MPH, MSHPE, LCCE, CLC, PMH-C, AdvCD/BDT(DONA)
As seen inNPR, Parents, People, The Bump, Verywell Health, The Washington Post, and Newsweek
What $19 covers
- Video
- About one hour in eleven short parts. Watch at your own pace.
- Live Q&A
- Live Q&A with your instructor. Your class includes 1 live Q&A session with me on Zoom, to use within 12 months.
- Templates
- A confidentiality clause, a photo and story consent form, and a privacy checklist, plus an 18 identifiers quick reference.
- Certificate
- A certificate of completion for your credentialing file.
- CE hours
- 1 CE contact hour you can apply toward certification or recertification. Approved through DONA International, course number CEP002-019-W.
- Access
- Yours for as long as the course is available. Start any time.
Registration is nonrefundable because this is a digital course.
Trained with me? See the alumni page for your discount.
Questions
Is any of this live?
The class is about an hour of video you watch on your own schedule. Your class also includes 1 live Q&A session with me on Zoom, to use within 12 months, so you can bring a privacy question from your own practice.
Does HIPAA apply to doulas?
Usually not directly. Most independent doulas hired by families and not billing insurance are not HIPAA covered entities, so HIPAA does not bind them the way it binds hospitals. The class explains the exceptions, like credentialing and business associate agreements, and what to do about client privacy either way.
Do I need a HIPAA training to get credentialed or bill Medicaid?
Some programs ask for one before they credential you. This class includes a certificate of completion and may help meet that requirement. Each program sets its own rule, so confirm with yours.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. You get a certificate of completion to keep in your credentialing file.
What templates are included?
A confidentiality clause for your client contract, a photo and story consent form, and a privacy checklist. You also get a quick reference sheet of the 18 HIPAA identifiers.
Does this include CE hours?
Yes. Finish the class and the short evaluation, and you'll get a certificate for 1 CE contact hour you can apply toward certification or recertification. The class is approved through DONA International, course number CEP002-019-W.
Is this legal advice?
No. This class is education for doulas, not legal advice. For a specific legal question about your practice, talk to an attorney.
How long do I have access?
As long as the course is available. Come back to it whenever a privacy question comes up.
Can I get a refund?
No. Registration is nonrefundable because this is a digital course.
You don't need to guess whether HIPAA applies to you, or copy someone else's privacy policy and hope it fits.
Ready for a plain answer?
About an hour of video. 1 live Q&A session with me. A certificate, three templates, and 1 CE contact hour. $19.