How can physicians secure data in the digital age?

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How can physicians secure data in the digital
age?
Confidentiality is a pillar of the healthcare
industry. The patients share their private
information with physicians hence when deciding
how to secure data in the digital age, clinicians
must apply professional judgment and follow
policies set forth by regulators. Electronic
communication of patient information can
facilitate clinical care, while mobile
technologies and cloud computing boost
productivity. However, these technological
innovations introduce new concerns of securing
the data of patients. Although the responsibility
to keep patient information confidential may be
rooted in professional ethics and governmental
bodies regulate confidentiality and medical
privacy. EMR Electronic medical records
(EMRs) are a digital version of the paper charts
in the clinicians office that contains the
medical and treatment history of the patients in
one practice. EMRs can easily be stored behind
firewalls with password-protected access.   All
logins are tracked including audit trails
changed, deleted info. The capabilities of EMR
systems are not the core issue, as they can be
used in a very secure way. Not all these systems
are used properly, which is primarily where the
exposure comes into play.
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How can physicians secure data in the digital
age?
HIPPA Compliance for data security In the US,
the Health Insurance Protection and Portability
Act (HIPAA) compliance stipulates stringent rules
for data security. These compliances stipulate
that all entities involved with protected health
information are subject to HIPAA compliance and
must assume liability for breaches of protected
health information.   HIPPA compliance gets
updated periodically hence physicians must review
business practices and agreements with vendors
with every new change making sure that these
business partners are safeguarding data
appropriately and are compliant with applicable
compliance. According to a research study, the
global cost of data breaches is rising to 6
trillion annually, and health care professionals
cant afford to be indifferent about
cybersecurity as they are the new target for
hackers. Hence, its time for medical
professionals to take a stand against data
breaches by utilizing tried-and-true
strategies. Here are various tips to secure data
in the digital age by avoiding data breaches
effectively
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How can physicians secure data in the digital
age?
Check Audit logs periodically You should check
audit reports periodically for any anomalies and
look for suspicious activities like users who are
accessing more records than normal or have
experienced too many failed login attempts that
can raise red flags. Choose Complex
Passwords Every physician must use complex
passwords to keep the system and data security. A
complex password can be made of at least 8
characters long with a series of numbers,
characters, and symbols. Changing your passwords
annually can ensure the security of the system
throughout employee turnover.   Elect a system
administrator Every organization should have a
System Administrator, who has the responsibility
to ensure the best possible security measures are
taken concerning the set-up, audit, backup,
configuration, and user training.
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How can physicians secure data in the digital
age?
Ensure all staff sign an agreement You should
force all working staff to sign an Information
Managers agreement that outlines every users
responsibility to only access the data they need
to perform their obligations. Its important to
communicate that actions will be tracked through
audit logs and reviewed regularly. Partner with
a trusted medical billing company Experienced med
ical billing, coding, and documentation
professionals like us can help you to avoid data
breaches in the medical field. You can get in
touch with us and rest assured. As you know the
healthcare industry in the US is very dynamic and
you constantly must adapt and change your
practices to better accommodate your
patients.   Finally, digitization indicates an
important change for patients and enables
patients to take a more active, participatory
role in their health care and wellness
decision-making. Digitized consumers are more
engaged and can more effectively take part in
their health destiny however physicians need to
secure data in the digital age for trust-building.