4 Safer Ways to Store HIPPA-Sensitive Data

Healthcare practitioners are responsible for keeping confidential information about their patients secure. Breach of protected health information (PHI) can result in hefty penalties, legal action, and damage to a provider’s reputation, all of which are mandated by the HIPAA standards that are now in effect.

The blog will cover all you need to know to preserve your patients’ privacy, from encryption to access controls and everything in between.

Recognizing the Value of PHI Protection & What You Can Do

PHI is any data that can be used to identify a patient, including their name, address, Social Security number, medical history, and financial data. This information must be kept secret to safeguard patient privacy and stop identity theft.

Federal legislation called HIPAA establishes rules for safeguarding PHI. To preserve PHI’s privacy, accuracy, and availability, healthcare providers must put administrative, physical, and technical measures in place. HIPAA standards must be followed to avoid hefty fines, expensive legal fees, and reputational harm to the provider.

1.     To Prevent Unauthorized Access, Encrypt Data

Encryption can shield sensitive patient data from unauthorized access in the case of PHI.

Data is transformed into a code via encryption that only a person with the correct decryption key can decipher.

Healthcare providers can utilize software that encrypts data in transit and at rest to protect PHI. This can involve encrypting emails, other communications, and data on Dell r720 servers, laptops, and other hardware.

2.     Use Access Controls

In addition to technical controls like passwords and user rights, this can involve physical controls like locking cabinets and doors.

Due to its ability to guarantee that only authorized individuals can access private patient information, access controls are crucial for protecting PHI. Role-based access controls, attribute-based access controls, and required access controls are a few of the several kinds of access controls.

Healthcare providers can employ software that limits access to sensitive information based on user permissions and responsibilities to create access controls for PHI. Additionally, they can instruct their workers on the value of access controls and best practices for safeguarding sensitive data.

3.     Maintain Current Hardware and Software

Updating hardware and software is essential for securing PHI. Because they may contain flaws that hackers might exploit, outdated software and hardware can be a security risk.

Updates to operating systems, antivirus programs, firewalls, and other security software are examples of this.

Healthcare providers can also incorporate automatic upgrades to guarantee that software and hardware are always current. Additionally, they can instruct their workers on the value of updating hardware and software and security system maintenance procedures.

4.     Use A Secure Cloud Service Provider For Storage

A reliable cloud storage service can help store HIPAA data. A secure cloud storage provider will implement robust security features to protect PHI, including encryption and access limits. Cloud storage can further offer remote backup and disaster recovery features.

Train Your Staff on HIPAA Regulations

Importance Of Training The Staff

Training your staff is essential because it helps ensure that everyone in your business knows their responsibilities regarding handling personal health information (PHI). The HIPAA standards can be challenging to understand, and everyone must be mindful of the rules and the repercussions of breaking them.

Requirements For Staff Training

Training for employees should include the fundamentals of HIPAA requirements, such as what protected health information (PHI) is, how it should be handled, and the implications of a breach. Employees should also receive training on the rules and procedures your company has implemented for operating PHI.

How Frequently Should Employees Get Training?

Training for your staff should occur at least once a year and more frequently if there are substantial changes to the HIPAA requirements or your organization’s policies and procedures.

Effective Methods For Training

The following are some examples of good training practices:

• You will use real-life scenarios to emphasize the significance of HIPAA compliance better.
• Keeping employees interested and involved in training by providing activities such as quizzes and games
• Throughout the year, giving retraining sessions to reinforce important ideas and concepts.

Consequences Of Violation

Legal Action

People who believe their PHI has been compromised may sue healthcare providers and organizations. These legal actions may lead to substantial monetary judgments or settlements.

Regulatory Scrutiny

HIPAA infractions may result in a regulatory investigation by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). To ascertain if healthcare organizations and providers adhere to HIPAA regulations, the OCR can conduct audits and investigations, which can be costly and time-consuming.

Loss Of Privileges

Organizations and healthcare providers who break HIPAA regulations may lose their privileges, including the capacity to bill Medicare or Medicaid.

Conclusion

In conclusion, healthcare providers must secure the storage of HIPAA-sensitive data. In addition, educating your personnel on the HIPAA requirements and safely disposing of outdated documents and devices is essential. You may protect sensitive patient data to the best of your ability by adopting these best practices, allowing you to do everything possible. Thus, you should start taking steps immediately to establish safer ways to keep HIPAA-sensitive data and preserve the privacy of your patients.