Understanding Action Items

What are Action Items?

Action items are tasks you need to complete to improve your HIPAA compliance. HIPAA Hub automatically creates them based on:

• Your risk assessment answers
• Missing policies
• Expired training
• Missing evidence
• Security gaps

Why They Matter

Action items help you:

• Know exactly what to do next
• Prioritize the most important tasks
• Track your progress
• Never miss critical requirements

How Action Items are Created

HIPAA Hub automatically creates action items when:

• You complete your risk assessment
• Policies are missing or need updates
• Training certificates expire
• Evidence is missing for policies
• Security gaps are identified

Understanding Priority Levels

Action items are organized by priority:

Critical (Red)

• Must be addressed immediately
• High risk if not completed
• Could result in violations
• Examples: Missing security policies, expired training for key staff

High (Orange)

• Should be addressed soon
• Important for compliance
• Should be done within 30 days
• Examples: Missing evidence, outdated policies

Medium (Yellow)

• Important but not urgent
• Should be done within 90 days
• Examples: Policy updates, additional training

Low (Blue)

• Nice to have improvements
• Can be done when convenient
• Examples: Additional documentation, optional training

How to View Action Items

From Your Dashboard

1. Go to your Dashboard
2. Scroll to the "Action Items" section
3. See your critical items at the top
4. Click "View All" to see everything

From the Action Items Page

1. Click "Action Items" in the sidebar
2. See all items organized by priority
3. Filter by status or category
4. Sort by due date or priority

How to Complete an Action Item

Step 1: Review the Item

1. Click on the action item
2. Read the description
3. Understand why it's important
4. See what needs to be done

Step 2: Take Action

1. Follow the instructions
2. Complete the required task
3. Upload any required documentation
4. Update related policies or evidence

Step 3: Mark as Complete

1. Return to the action item
2. Click "Mark as Complete"
3. Add notes if needed
4. The item is removed from your active list

Common Action Items

Missing Policies

What it means: You haven't generated one of the 9 required policies.

What to do:

1. Go to Policies section
2. Generate the missing policy
3. Review and approve it
4. Action item will be marked complete

Missing Evidence

What it means: A policy doesn't have supporting evidence.

What to do:

1. Go to Evidence section
2. Upload evidence for that policy
3. Connect it to the policy
4. Action item will be marked complete

Expired Training

What it means: An employee's training certificate is older than 1 year.

What to do:

1. Go to Training section
2. Reassign training to that employee
3. Wait for completion
4. Action item will be marked complete

Security Gaps

What it means: Your risk assessment identified a security issue.

What to do:

1. Review the specific gap
2. Implement the recommended fix
3. Upload evidence of the fix
4. Update your risk assessment if needed

Best Practices

Start with Critical Items

• Always address critical items first
• They have the biggest impact on compliance
• Don't let them pile up

Work Systematically

• Complete items in priority order
• Don't skip from critical to low priority
• Track your progress

Update Regularly

• Check action items weekly
• Complete items as you go
• Don't wait until audit time

Document Your Work

• Upload evidence when completing items
• Add notes explaining what you did
• Keep records for audit trail

Common Questions

Q: How many action items should I have? A: It depends on your compliance status. New users typically have 20-50 items. As you complete them, the number decreases.

Q: What if I can't complete an item? A: Add a note explaining why. Some items may need to be deferred, but document the reason.

Q: Do action items expire? A: They don't expire, but they should be addressed based on priority. Critical items need immediate attention.

Q: Can I create my own action items? A: Currently, action items are created automatically. You can add notes to existing items.

Q: What happens when I complete all items? A: Your compliance score improves, and you'll be in better shape for audits. New items may appear as requirements change.

Next Steps

After reviewing your action items:

1. Prioritize critical items
2. Create a plan to address them
3. Start with the highest priority
4. Track your progress
5. Celebrate improvements

Related Guides

• Understanding Your Dashboard
• Risk Assessment
• Policy Generation