Healthcare providers are responsible for retaining important patient data all while providing a level of high-quality care. HIPAA, or The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulates that specific body of law. Leveraging IT to ensure HIPAA compliance With today’s healthcare industry becoming more and more dependent on digital systems, the need for system-level measures to be compliant with HIPAA is critical. The good news is companies like eMazzanti Technologies offer industry-specific solutions and timely advice to manage services providers (MSP) and health plans that require compliance and data protection.
Key Elements to Achieve an HIPAA Harmony
In the field of healthcare one of the first steps that a healthcare provider can adopt to make their business operations with an hourly accountant is ensure HIPAA compliance by using data storage solutions. Store patient records and other sensitive data in secure, encrypted databases. This makes the data unreadable and unusable if someone intercepts it or accesses it with ill intentions. Scalable and secure cloud based storage solutions, Cloud Storage is gaining popularity in healthcare industry as a solution for long-term data retention. Managed correctly, these systems give health care providers a protected way to store and access patient information within HIPAA guidelines.
A further key piece of this puzzle is appropriate access to PHI. Patient information also means that you allow doctors and health providers to access it. They generally do this through role-based access control (RBAC) systems. RBAC restricts access to certain data based on an employee’s role in the company. A nurse may only need to consult patient records, and a billing specialist would probably primarily require financial data. To safeguard against unauthorized data exposure, restrict access to only the information that healthcare providers require for patient care to protect patient privacy.
Another method healthcare providers can use to enhance security and ensure HIPAA compliance is two-factor authentication (2FA). Users must prove who they are with 2FA, etc. (for example, using verification by phone in addition to a password). An added layer of security like this limits the possibility of someone illicitly retrieving sensitive patient data if a password becomes compromised. The overall takeaways for achieving better patient protection may then need to include the simple system or policy change such as implementing 2FA across all systems handling patient information.
The Role of Security
Providers must also vet every software solution used by, for or as part of their business, just to make sure they are updated. Security updates often resolve vulnerabilities that can be exploited by hackers. This helps to mitigate the threat of a security breach for any healthcare provider as long as all systems are current. Moreover, healthcare organizations should leverage a MSP to constantly monitor their systems for any activity that seems out of the ordinary. With proactive monitoring, IT teams can quickly identify and respond to potential threats before they result in a data breach.
Another factor in compliance is the data backups. When a system crashes, or there is damage to the building (floods, fire, etc) data is readily recoverable for operations. Backups are taken every day to make sure the patient information does not get lost and can be restored at any point of time. MSPs know that healthcare organizations must have automated backups to copy patient data in a secure location for preservation and quick recovery.
Technical and Non-Technical Requisites to Obtain an HIPAA Harmony
Beyond technical safeguards, healthcare providers must also consider administrative measures in order to be HIPAA compliant. Providing cybersecurity best practices training to staff is arguably the best measure you can take to minimize human error, which accounts for a significant portion of data breaches. Train employees to identify phishing emails, follow best practices for using strong passwords, and handle patient data in accordance with current laws/ regulations. Regular training sessions are part of the process where the information on what needs to be done to protect patient data becomes top-of-mind for all members of staff.
They also need to perform the requisite risk assessment to spot imminent threats on their IT platforms. These assessments also allow organizations to see how well they are doing at the moment and determine where they can improve their security. Partnering with an MSP can provide healthcare organizations the insights needed to manage risks and mature in their security posture.
Another important part of HIPAA compliance is to ensure that any third-party vendors which receive patient information are also compliant with HIPAA regulations. Healthcare providers must establish BAAs that explicitly outline the PHI these vendors will store and their responsibilities for protecting it. Angular Blog Home » Security » How MSPs Can Secure Their Healthcare Clients’ Data > How MSPs Can Secure Their Healthcare Clients’ Data Security.
Conclusion
Ultimately, healthcare providers — as we shift to the digital age — must utilize their IT to maintain compliance with HIPAA. Healthcare organizations can implement secure storage solutions, catch patient data with restricted access via two-factor authentication, and maintain up-to-date software updates for better information protection and compliance with HIPAA regulations. When using a reputable MSP such as eMazzanti Technologies, healthcare businesses have the resources and knowledge to help keep compliant and secure their data.
