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5 Best practices for securing PHIProtected health information (PHI) includes personal, medical, and financial information, as well as other data created or used when a patient sought and received healthcare services. Due to the sensitive nature of PHI, it is highly valuable to hackers — and this is why your healthcare organization must do everything possible to protect any PHI […]

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5 Best practices for securing PHI

Protected health information (PHI) includes personal, medical, and financial information, as well as other data created or used when a patient sought and received healthcare services. Due to the sensitive nature of PHI, it is highly valuable to hackers — and this is why your healthcare organization must do everything possible to protect any PHI data it handles. These best practices will put you on the right track toward keeping PHI secure.

Educate your staff

A comprehensive data security training program is necessary to combat ever-evolving threats to the healthcare industry. Training should be done regularly and cover all the different areas of data security, including the different data breach methods employed by hackers. For instance, your employees should be educated on how to spot phishing attacks, which are the number one cause of data breaches, according to the 2020 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report. Understanding how phishing works will help your employees recognize and avoid falling victim to such scams.

Enforce strict access policies

Implement access restriction policies to keep unauthorized users from getting their hands on PHI. This entails granting employees access to only the PHI they need to perform their tasks. For instance, accountants should not have access to data about patients’ health conditions. Similarly, physicians shouldn’t be able to see patients’ billing information.

Healthcare executives must also hold employees accountable for accessing PHI for no valid reason. Together with regular cybersecurity training, this will minimize the risk of data breaches resulting from insider threats.

Employ full-disk encryption

Full-disk encryption is an inexpensive and quick method to secure private information saved in computers and portable devices. It renders data indecipherable to users who don’t possess the matching decryption key. This means that even if one of your employees’ laptop or smartphone is lost or stolen, the thief won’t be able to access any encrypted PHI stored in it.

Build a resilient infrastructure

Malware is a blanket term for viruses, Trojans, and other harmful programs that cybercriminals use to damage systems and gain access to sensitive data. To ensure the security of PHI, your healthcare organization must build an IT infrastructure that is protected against malware of all kinds.

This involves setting up safeguards to keep malware and other threats at bay, such as advanced firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, and email filtering software. You should also consider network segregation and segmentation to block hackers’ attempts to penetrate your networks and steal PHI data.

If malware does manage to infiltrate your network, stop it from spreading by deploying next-gen anti-malware software that can detect and quarantine any signs of a breach. If such systems fail, you’d also need a data backup and recovery plan so you can continue caring for your patients even during a major incident.

Implement physical security measures

Many healthcare organizations still rely on paper-based PHI and store these in file cabinets. Secure these valuable assets by installing physical security controls, such as surveillance cameras and card entry systems, in the areas of your facility where records are stored. You should also implement strict record log-out procedures, which will help ensure that only authorized personnel can access records that contain sensitive data and that these are returned promptly.

To learn more about how you can secure PHI and other digital assets, drop us a line today. Our team of professionals can provide you with the knowledge and assistance you need.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Big data’s positive effects on healthcare readmissionBusiness intelligence (BI) has fueled the growth of many businesses through the years, especially in the finance and manufacturing industries. Today, the benefits extend beyond those industries, as BI and big data have become important tools for healthcare businesses aiming to improve their processes. At its core, BI software is all about data analytics. BI […]

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Big data’s positive effects on healthcare readmission

Business intelligence (BI) has fueled the growth of many businesses through the years, especially in the finance and manufacturing industries. Today, the benefits extend beyond those industries, as BI and big data have become important tools for healthcare businesses aiming to improve their processes.

At its core, BI software is all about data analytics. BI software is capable of accepting overwhelming amounts of data in short periods of time. It also uses advanced analysis algorithms to search for trends in the data that even the most experienced statistician cannot find. Because it can provide deep insights on such tight schedules, businesses across industries have utilized different BI software to gain competitive advantages and streamline their workflows. For instance, businesses in the healthcare industry use BI to manage their readmission rates.

Readmission refers to when a patient returns for more care within 30 days of their original hospital stay. Cases like these usually stem from conditions immediately following the initial visit, such as mismanagement of the original condition, improper self-medication, and not enough access to proper medical services and medications in their community.

BI can help reduce readmission rates in several ways. For instance, by using patient fields such as income level, English proficiency, housing conditions, and community resources instead of finance-specific variables like previous number of purchases, order size, and order frequency, hospital administrators will have greater insight into the welfare of their patients. This knowledge will enable them to provide extra care to people who need it most and help them prevent expensive readmissions.

Furthermore, by combining socioeconomic data with electronic medical records (EMR) in a BI software environment, medical professionals can easily create individual profiles that will predict how likely a patient is going to require readmission, even before care is provided. For practices looking for methods to reduce readmissions by 3% or greater, predictive analytics allow doctors to ensure that certain types of patients can totally avoid readmissions with proper initial care.

Effective implementation of these solutions can definitely save hospitals a lot of money. In fact, one particular practice was able to save $72 million on medical services after reducing the incidence of readmissions by 6,000 patients annually while avoiding $4 million in Medicare penalties and boosting its reputation by leaps and bounds.

Big data isn’t only for big businesses. BI software can provide your practice with unprecedented levels of care and efficiency. Whether you want to lower readmission rates or ensure EMR compliance, we have the knowledge and experience to get it done for you. Call us today to partner with a proven IT expert.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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4 Facts about HIPAA and your ITHealth Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations pertaining to IT have become much clearer over the course of the past few years, but there are still a few areas in which your office might not be compliant. This isn’t necessarily because of negligence on your part, but rather a lack of understanding of the […]

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4 Facts about HIPAA and your IT

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations pertaining to IT have become much clearer over the course of the past few years, but there are still a few areas in which your office might not be compliant. This isn’t necessarily because of negligence on your part, but rather a lack of understanding of the requirements. Let’s look at four concerns your practice should know about HIPAA and your IT.

Telehealth and mHealth are not always compliant

If your practice has invested in or is thinking about investing in telehealth or mobile health (mHealth), then you need to make sure that the tech you utilize is HIPAA-compliant. While most telehealth technology is HIPAA-approved, one or two additional measures may be required to make it compliant. An IT specialist should have no problem making sure your telehealth is up to code.

On the other hand, mHealth may be a little more problematic. While a lot of hardware and apps, including Fitbit and Apple Watch, are HIPAA-compliant, mHealth is a field that is still very new and constantly changing. Your best bet is to consult with an expert to make sure your mHealth services are following all the necessary regulations.

All information needs to be HIPAA-compliant

Electronic health records (EHRs) and any sensitive documents like billing records, appointment information, and test results must be stored in HIPAA-compliant devices and servers. More specifically, your devices and services should have multiple layers of security, including endpoint protection software, encryption systems, and strict access controls.

A lot of medical practices that use cloud-based storage for their EHRs overlook this fact and opt for low-cost platforms that don’t meet certain minimums. While it’s good to have your EHRs ready to go on the cloud, make sure that your non-EHR data is protected as well. If it isn’t, you could be facing a fine.

Your protected health information (PHI) notice must be available online

If your practice has a website, HIPAA’s rules dictate that your website must contain a copy of your updated PHI notice for patients to access. If this information is not currently posted on your website, rectify this as soon as possible to avoid any problems.

Healthcare business associates must also be HIPAA-compliant

Conformity to HIPAA regulations is not just limited to medical practices, healthcare clearinghouses, and health plan organizations. Any business that has access, electronic or otherwise, to PHI is also required by law to be HIPAA-compliant. This includes any accounting or law firms you work with that may already be accessing your files electronically to carry out work.

To avoid any potential trouble for your practice or its partners, it is best to ask them if they are HIPAA-compliant before partnering with them. If they aren’t, revoke all data access privileges, and make sure they take action to correct this issue immediately.

Still not sure if you’re 100% HIPAA-compliant? Our team of experts can run the necessary risk analysis and correct issues with your technology that may not be in line with current regulations. Just give us a call today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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How to prevent healthcare data breachesCloud-based healthcare systems have vastly improved medical services. Digitization has allowed hospitals and clinics to provide better patient care and greater accessibility to information. However, it has also increased the risk of personal health information (PHI) cybertheft. For this reason, healthcare cybersecurity experts are working harder than ever to protect PHI. From financial information to […]

The post How to prevent healthcare data breaches appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

How to prevent healthcare data breaches

Cloud-based healthcare systems have vastly improved medical services. Digitization has allowed hospitals and clinics to provide better patient care and greater accessibility to information. However, it has also increased the risk of personal health information (PHI) cybertheft. For this reason, healthcare cybersecurity experts are working harder than ever to protect PHI.

From financial information to medical information

In the past few years, cybercriminals have focused on stealing financial data, including credit card numbers, online banking credentials, and other personal information. But things are taking a turn, with financial institutions fortifying their database security and raising client awareness on the growing problems.

Stronger data protection measures in the financial industry have forced criminals to turn their attention to medical data, which is typically much less secure. Patient data includes date of birth, medical and physical records, and social security number — information that can’t be easily reset, and is significantly more valuable than credit card data.

Securing healthcare data

Healthcare data has become more attractive to criminals, and it’s crucial that medical institutions take necessary precautions to secure their patients’ information from data thieves. Here are some best practices to secure those pieces of information:

  • Encrypt healthcare data – Encryption translates patients’ data into code that only authorized users with a decryption key can decode. Multi-encryption is also an effective way to keep out intruders.
  • Protect your network and Wi-Fi – Because hackers use a variety of tools to break into IT systems and obtain medical records, your healthcare organization needs to invest in the best security solutions, including firewalls and antivirus software. Also worth considering is network segregation, which blocks attackers’ attempts to penetrate your networks to steal an organization’s information.
  • Educate employees – Staff members need to be trained in various areas of information security. Regularly conduct cybersecurity training sessions that cover policies such as setting strong passwords, implementing spam filters, protecting against phishing scams, and spotting different kinds of data breach methods.
  • Secure physical locations – Most healthcare institutions still retain their patients’ records on paper and store them in cabinets. Ensure that all loopholes are covered by installing surveillance cameras and other physical security controls, such as electronic door locks. Enforce strict rules about granting access to high-risk offices containing sensitive data only to authorized personnel.

It is important for healthcare providers to secure sensitive patient data. Learn how your organization can better protect your patients’ information by giving us a call.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

The post How to prevent healthcare data breaches appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

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