Which is NOT consistent with Personnel Clearance Procedures needed to comply with HIPAA Administrative Safeguards?

Question

Options

• ACurrent database of what personnel has access to buildings, offices, filing cabinets, computers,
• BNew employees, contractors, and unpaid staff have references checked
• CAppropriate exit interviews for outgoing personnel
• DDiscretion given to who does and does not have access to secure office spaces or keys/door

• A
  4% (2)
• B
  12% (6)
• C
  82% (40)
• D
  2% (1)

Explanation

Option C is the answer because exit interviews fall under Termination Procedures, not Personnel Clearance Procedures. HIPAA's Personnel Clearance Procedures focus on screening and granting access - verifying that individuals are appropriate candidates before or during their access to protected health information, not on what happens when they leave.

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A is consistent - maintaining an access database is a core component of tracking and managing who is cleared to access systems, spaces, and equipment.
• B is consistent - screening new employees, contractors, and unpaid staff through reference checks is a standard clearance step before granting access.
• D is consistent - exercising discretion over who receives access to secure spaces or physical keys is exactly what personnel clearance procedures are designed to manage.

Memory tip: Think of Personnel Clearance as getting people cleared to enter - it's about vetting and access control on the front end. Exit interviews are an exit procedure (termination), not a clearance procedure. If the activity involves someone leaving rather than being screened for access, it belongs in a different HIPAA bucket.

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