Protecting patient information is a vital part of every practice’s responsibilities. Personal healthcare information is sensitive, and medical staff are in a position of power, entrusted to keep it safe. This is well understood, and HIPAA and other regulations are in place to ensure that patients’ information is safeguarded. However, with the global shift to reliance on the internet, the task has become much more nuanced.
At least 90% of practices have transitioned to the use of electronic medical records (EHR). The majority of smartphone and tablet users have downloaded some sort of healthcare-related app, amounting to more than 3.4 billion portals of unsecured access to medical information. A relatively new reliance on telehealth has only exacerbated the problem.
Because patient information is accessible in so many ways, a greater responsibility falls on medical practices to secure it at the source. Medical identity theft can lead to thieves accessing medical treatments and prescription drugs in the names of unsuspecting patients. Because of the risk, protecting patient information should be a top priority.
In 1996, the federal government enumerated the Privacy and Security Rules listed under a new Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This set of laws and regulations protects patients’ healthcare information when it is held by healthcare providers and similar organizations. HIPAA regulations serve as a baseline for protecting patient information. In this article, we detail how practices can do so.
Your practice’s plan to secure patient information should be tailored to your organization and have two phases: prevention and restitution. The prevention phase is dedicated to making sure information stays secure. It includes the policies, procedures, and systems put in place to make sure leaks and hacks do not occur.
Your prevention plan should also include regular training of staff on good security processes and the methods thieves use to gain access to information. It is wise to also implement an education system for the patients that visit your practice as well.
The restitution section of your practice’s personal plan should include an incident response plan to contain damage and mitigate losses in the event that security breaches occur. Have corrective methods ready and make sure staff are well-trained so breaches can be addressed as quickly as possible.
Education is a powerful weapon in the ongoing fight to protect patient information. All employees at your facility should understand not only the methods of protecting patient information, but its importance as well. Offer regular trainings on good security practices, including logging out properly on network devices, refraining from using personal devices, and creating secure passwords (combinations that utilize many unique characters in unrecognizable patterns).
HIPAA regulations evolve to mirror changes in technology and medical recording methods. The basic principles for protecting patient information will remain, but specific regulations must be kept up-to-date. As you train staff to keep the information your facility safeguards secure, make sure your training reflects the most current HIPAA standards.
Patients are the most vulnerable part of the healthcare information security chain. While practices cannot be responsible for patients’ actions, educating patients on the importance of their security can be one of the many services providers offer. Help patients understand the importance of safeguarding their medical information. Discourage them from sharing their information anywhere other than on secure facility portals.
Encryption methods make information storage more secure. All of your facility’s mobile devices and data-at-rest should be encrypted. Utilize the other security measures available to your practice, including strong passwords, firewalls, and antivirus software. These must be updated regularly to keep them up-to-date.
At least once a year, your practice should run a HIPAA security risk analysis. This process checks the security and efficacy of your storage tools. Pay special attention to any online forums and cloud-based services since these typically run a greater risk of infiltration. Also verify that your hard- and software are secure. The risk analysis provides a good opportunity to clean out the trash, so to speak. Destroy all information that does not need to be maintained.
Online services are the most vulnerable part of any medical facility’s systems, and information is most exposed while it is in transit. Examples include telehealth sessions, other patient-practice interactions conducted via technology, and cloud-based systems. To prevent incident, all servers and networks should have remote wiping or disabling enabled.
Invest in a secure WIFI network, and urge patients to use the same when communicating with their provider or accessing their medical information. Conduct video conferences only on secure platforms. In all your remote communications, make protecting patient information your top priority and adhere to HIPAA standards.