Running your own medical clinic is hard, but when you are dealing with a breach of data and your patient’s details have been exposed, that’s when things get really rough. Data security is so important for patients in a medical setting that there is even a specific act that protects everyone: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Also known as HIPAA, this act protects the rights of everyone receiving medical care by binding healthcare providers in confidence.
If you are running your own clinic, then you should know that data security is one of the most important things in which you can invest. You can add a measure of safety by restricting the access that people have to your data. So, within your organization, ensuring only certain trusted parties should have full access to confidential records and adding extra password protection to it will also help. Patient safeguards have always existed, and you need to avoid a lawsuit by protecting your patients the best way that you can. Along with good ERP software for enterprise, you can use these four following points to protect the privacy of your patients. Let’s take a close look at what you can do:
People Over Data
You are a business, yes, but you are also supposed to be compassionate in what you do. If you ensure that you are thinking about the people who are able to access the restricted information, you’re going to do better for your patients. There are over 100 million patient records exposed every year, but you can avoid it if you limit how many people in your business have access to that data in the first place.
Get Everyone In On Security
It’s so easy to forget that your data is more than just the electronic records. We need to think about software for protection and data analysis, sure, but we need to think about the other way that patients could be exposed. Their physical details on paperwork and files can be at as much risk as the electronic records. You need to promote a security culture in your business, and you can do it by implementing proper training on data security.
Let Patients Have Their Own Access
Patients may want to see their own records, and so should they – it’s their information after all! You can make sure that they have the access they want by providing them with a secure app to access their information, or you can allow them their own password and username to log in from home.
Make HIPAA The Norm
You need to remember that it’s people you are dealing with. HIPAA is not something to tick off as “done”, it should be the center of yoru clinic and your policies. Provide training on it and raise better awareness – it’s the best thing that you can do for your patients, and you can create a culture of safety.
People want to feel safe and with the tips above, you can do exactly that.
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