How to Keep Patient Medical Records Safe and Confidential

How to Keep Patient Medical Records Safe and Confidential Medical transcription services have remained a part of healthcare organizations. To keep patient data safe, they have in place a number of safety measures.

The patient medical chart is a highly sensitive document that is also a legal record, which makes it vital to keep it confidential and safe. Outsourcing medical transcription is a key element in the healthcare industry and accurate and timely transcriptions are an absolute must. Quality in transcription is vital for the physician to avoid any medical mishaps and to ensure the best patient care; for other medical professionals in the care team; and for insurance companies for reimbursement and other related works. Doctors and healthcare providers can have a distinct advantage with medical transcription services in terms of obtaining accurate medical reports, and the ability to review and share patient data, share documents with other physicians and staff and trace document history. A good medical

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transcription firm will also ensure safety and confidentiality of the medical records they handle and prevent any data breach.

In 2019, there was a record-breaking number of data breaches involving more than 500 records according to HIPAA Journal. The article mentioned that 35 million individuals have had their health records exposed and compromised in 2019. This is more than the 3 years combined data breaches.

Recently, data breach affected Premier Family Medical in Utah, when a hacking/IT incident occurred on the company’s network server on September 7, according to HHS website. The company said it does not believe any information from its 320,000 patient records was taken.

Other data breach cases of 2019 are from LabCorp on June 6 th which happened on the web page of American Medical Collection Agency which is an external agency of LabCorp, and affected 7.7 million patients. Two days prior to it, Quest Diagnostics experienced a similar breach with American Medical Collection Agency, potentially impacting 11.9 million patients.

According to April Sather, a fellow at the Cyber security Policy and Research Institute at the University of California, Irvine all the three data breaches involved organization in healthcare ecosystem. The average cost on medical records breached is $429 which is twice that of the next highest category, financial records. The AMA suggests that physicians cannot stay idle when it comes to protection of patient information. In 2017, the association reported that more than 80 percent of 1,300 US patients faced some type of cyber security attack. Out of all the cyber attacks, the most common were phishing and computer viruses.

As per a report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, among 1,461 breaches that occurred from October 21, 2009 till July 1, 2019, 66 percent compromised “sensitive demographics," including birth dates, drivers’ license numbers and Social Security numbers, 35 percent compromised financial service information and 65 percent compromised clinical or medical information.

So, to ensure protection of healthcare data here are some tips: 

Use of strong encryption algorithm: All crucial data must be stored in a file system or in a moving online network and the data should be encrypted. It is also important to backup the files and the backup system should be offsite and tested.

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Be prepared for future breaches: Preparing and setting up a strategy before any data breach actually occurs, helps you to stay prepared at the time of any data breach.

Proper communication, processing, and practice helps act quickly at the time of any cyber attack. Technology alone will not help you decide whether to pay a ransom, or when to call your insurance carrier, lawyer or forensics partner. Making a poor decision under pressure can be drastically reduced if you have a clear plan that key stakeholders are familiar with.

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Communicate openly in case of a breach: Healthcare systems that face any data breach should communicate what happened in a transparent manner. Showing empathy to patients, charting a clear path forward for preventing future incidents or offering an incentive for loyalty etc helps retain your patients even after the breach.

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Consider a risk-based framework: A strong cyber security initiative that involves various levels of safety along with a robust plan for preventing future incidents can protect your data. However, advanced technology can provide potent tools for hackers. So, set up a risk-based framework.

Medical transcription services have always remained a vital part of medical practices and hospitals and with EHR integration they are likely to remain so in the future also. To keep your data safe, these service providers have implemented a number of different safety measures. They have security software, antivirus software, and firewalls that are all updated regularly to ensure that all systems meet all applicable security regulations.

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918-221-7809