Sunday, April 28, 2019

HIPAA Management Solutions Compliance For Healthcare Institutions

By Nancy West


Healthcare institutions have files under their database that contains information regarding their patients. Administrative and management information are also stored in there. These are all confidential and should be protected against malicious intents. They should also comply with the HIPAA management solutions regulated to them.

This Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 is under federal law. It primarily simplifies administration, keeps healthcare insurance records, secures electronic records, and protects healthcare information confidentiality. The right as to who can read their medical records is one of the rights of the patient embedded in this act.

In order to comply with all those points, institutions can incorporate document management systems software into their database mainframe. This software stores, tracks, records and manages important information. It can handle large amounts of volume and helps in organizing the files. This is a document repository of the institution which can be easily searched and retrieved.

There are however additional features that the law would like them to have. At the top of that list is the user authentication. They need to be authorized people in order to access private information. In relation, the system has to be strong and secure to prevent any unauthorized access from happening. The law suggests a multi factor authentication. Here, a security code will be temporarily given aside from their passwords. This minimizes the chances of cyber attacks.

Electronic security systems are to be installed such as firewalls and cyber security tools. These have operating systems which has pre installed software for anti spyware and anti virus. Malicious hands should be kept from getting their sensitive information regarding patient and administration. System updates are needed to ensure maximum security, as well as having comprehensive data protection against new details on cyber attacks.

Information should be arranged and grouped according to their sensitivity and importance. Benign and common information does not need security locks and encryption that much unlike others. Each confidential data are to be assigned a security level. This ensures that only authorized people can access a certain level in the system.

Encryption means translating and encoding information that only authorized people can access and read. The cryptographic algorithm translates the plain text into a jumble of numbers and letters that is impossible to read by those unauthorized. It would be better if they can get a systems software with a higher bit of encryption to increase impossibility of breach.

Their records have to reflect transparency and honesty. A simple audit trail can show who have read a particular file. Only authorized people can change and update any information in them. Meanwhile, it is the system administrator who can modify the security level of certain information and people allowed for access provided there is a commendation from upper management.

In case of unforeseen events, they should make plans for backups and recovery. Events may be due to natural calamities, cyber attacks, or software problems. Their systems provider who has complied with the act will store the documents in an off site center for protection. The provider also has a backup of their own in case their center incurs system failures.




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