Remember paper files? Every note, every form, every transaction was printed out on paper and stuffed into a file with your patient’s name across the top.
If a patient wanted a copy, or you referred them to a specialist, it meant pulling out the file, making copies, and sending them to the appropriate place.
As a business, you are responsible for ensuring the safety and security of all of your data. HIPAA laws require you to perform risk analysis and implement measures to reduce the risk and vulnerabilities found.
The requirement applies not only to your in-house data, but to every software program and system you use, third-party vendors included.
Texting is no longer a fad; it’s a way of life. It’s one of the fastest, easiest ways to connect with the people most important to you. So naturally, it’s crept into the business world too.
Why not text your clients and customers a quick message about an upcoming appointment? Why not answer messages with short answers? While that may be just part of doing business in some industries, it’s not quite as simple in the medical field.
How many things do your employees need to be proficient in to do their jobs well? They have to understand the programs you use throughout your practice. They have to understand HIPAA compliance laws. They have to keep safety and security in mind. Oh, and let’s not forget, they have to stay up to date in their areas of expertise.
Do you operate a busy medical practice? Does your help desk operate 24-hours of the day?
Is it HIPAA compliant?
Protecting your patients’ private information is one of the most important jobs you have. And it all starts with your contact center and the way they handle their responsibilities.
Technology has changed the way we handle health information. What used to include piles of paperwork is now being digitally produced and stored. Personal health information (PHI) includes medical histories, lab tests and results, mental health evaluations, insurance information, and other data a medical professional deems vital to identify and keep on file for appropriate care.
Every day, the news is filled with stories about hacker breaches and data exposures. Billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of terabytes of data have been compromised … it’s difficult NOT to be a little nervous.
But are you really at risk for Russian collusion? Are hackers really chiseling away at your backdoor, looking for any way in?
Maybe.
What prevents anyone from hopping into your car as it sits out in the parking lot and driving away? Locks and keys. The locks prevent someone from being able to open the door and get into your car. The key prevents the ability to start it up and drive away.
“We’ve been hacked.”
That’s something no company director wants to hear. But in the medical industry, it can be even more severe. Data breaches can be costly; HIPAA violations add a whole other level to the costs. Over $19 million was paid out in HIPAA fines alone in 2017, with fees already reaching $8 million in 2018.
Of course, money isn’t the only thing you can lose in the process.
Ever since the concept of the electronic health record (EHR) program made its way into our modern healthcare system, the term “patient engagement” has grown right alongside it. It doesn’t make sense to have one without the other.
Patient engagement involves building a system that allows a patient to manage his or her own health.