hipaa compliance: checklist for healthcare providers

      HIPAA Compliance Checklist for Healthcare Providers

Over recent years, technology has gained popularity in various industries including education, finance, retail, automobile and many more. Not only has that, in this era of technological advancements, the healthcare segment also experienced digitization of all integrated systems and processes. Gone are the days using complicated mechanisms in health care centers that have now moved to digitalized centers. These days’ healthcare providers have moved to advanced technologies including computerized operations, electronic patient health records, digital laboratories, and modern pharmacies.

As a result, health plan providers have started offering easy access to claims through self-serviceable online apps. Although technology has brought convenience and ease of access, it has also increased the security risks that can cause a breach. This is where HIPAA compliance comes to play. Every business in the Healthcare IT Services segment should understand the importance of Health Insurance Probability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The main objective of HIPAA is to offer patients privacy.

      HIPAA Compliance Checklist 2019

HIPAA standards deal with sensitive patient healthcare information on covered entities and other related business associates. This is to ensure to prevent health care fraud and dealing with confidential healthcare information, health insurance portability, and administrative simplification.

We should ensure to take care of dealing with health information for patients, healthcare services providers, and employers. If you have any third-party business associates or subcontractors who have access to similar secure patient health records, then they would also need to be HIPAA compliant. Self-audit of your company's HIPAA compliance may seem like a tedious task. Also before hiring a dedicated team of personnel to audit your company, you must be aware of the legalities and compliance policy procedures pertinent to your healthcare IT services business.

     Technical Compliances

In Technical Compliances you should have understood questions about the software or IT service monitor the actions of each stakeholder involved with user verification at critical stages?

Does your software take backups to recover and collect data in the event of an emergency and can it ensure faster up-time?

Can your software or IT service ensure transmission security to prevent unauthorized access or transmission over an unsecured network?

      Physical Compliances

• Do you offer limited physical access to the healthcare facility management system?
• Do you restrict the use of personal devices and gadgets on the premises?
  
• Do you have systems in place to manage ePHI stored across different devices considering the unlikely event of a gadget being stolen, misplaced, and re-used or if a user resigns?
  
• Have you secured your workstations?
  
• Administrative Compliances
  
• Do you adhere to HIPAA privacy & security rules?
• Have you drafted a privacy policy mentioning your company’s guidelines to HIPAA rules?
  
• Do you use or disclose or access any health information without the patient’s consent?
  
• Have you appointed security officers who will conduct periodic audits and assessments of risks management, privacy, and administration?
  

       Final Thoughts

These rules, policies, and procedures ensure that any person who has access to confidential healthcare information doesn't misuse their authority. Also, these HIPAA checklists will aid you in preventing a HIPAA violation.