HIPAA Acknowledgement of Receipt of Notice of Privacy Practices

Health care providers must comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. A few basics for dentists might be:

A dental office needs to to have a written privacy policy.
A dental office needs to provide a copy of the privacy policy to all staff and document that it has been distributed.
A dental office needs to select a privacy officer who will make many of the decisions involved in implementing the office's privacy policy. A contact officer (who may be the same person) needs to be selected to receive complaints.
A dental office needs to establish procedures for disciplining staff members who violate the office's privacy policy.
A dental office needs to provide patients with a Notice of Privacy Practices (See brochure-item BROC-PRIV1)
A dental office needs to make a good faith effort to obtain a signature on an Acknowledgement of Receipt of Notice of Privacy Practices (see form C-HIPAA).
A dental office needs to obtain a patient authorization to use or disclose Protected Health Information (only if if the office intends to use the information for purposes not described in the office Notice of Privacy Practices)
If a dental office intends to share Protected Health Information other than a referral for normal treatment, a Business Associate Contract should be given to the entity receiving the information. The office should obtain a copy of the contract.
A Privacy Kit specific for dentists is available from the ADA.