Writing Tips for Writing HIPAA Privacy Notices
Under HIPAA's privacy rule, covered entities must provide patients with a notice of their privacy rights and the privacy practices of the covered entity. The notice should be written in “plain language,” so that recipients can easily understand it. Here are some steps that covered entities can take to make their notices more readable:
Include a short introductory section that explains the purpose of the notice and the personal benefits to the recipient;
Use a conversational style;
Use more common words;
Use shorter sentences;
Avoid hyphens and compound words;
Give examples to explain difficult terms or concepts;
Use lower case rather than all capital letters;
Assess the readability (grade) level;
Consider visuals, such as use of more white space, larger fonts and high contrast; and
Make it suitable for the culture and language of the reader.
Source: “Plain Language Principles and Thesaurus for Making HIPAA Privacy Notices More Readable,” U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), available at: http://www.hrsa.gov/servicedelivery/language.htm.
Reprinted with permission. © CCH
<p>Under HIPAA's privacy rule, covered entities must provide patients with a notice of their privacy rights. The notice should be written in “plain language,” so that recipients can easily understand it.</p>