HIPAA Violation Examples – WheelHouse IT

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With fines reaching $50,000 per occurrence and a maximum annual penalty of almost 2 million dollars, it’s imperative to ensure your medical practice is HIPAA compliant at all times. While every possible violation should be considered a threat to your company however some come up more than others do in today’s worldwide technology-driven society with its ever-connected gadgets where everything seems accessible from anywhere no matter how secure they may seem on any given day.

HIPAA is a federal law that regulates the privacy, security, and human resources of health care providers. While it’s designed to ensure your sensitive information remains safe from prying eyes – many people have found ways around these laws before you even get started!

15 Most Common Hipaa Violation Examples

Here are the 15 most common examples of HIPAA violations:

Accessing PHI from Unsecured Location

When it comes to the security of your employees’ personal information, you can’t afford any leaks. That’s why we recommend that all staff members keep documents with PHI in a secure location at all times and physical or digital files should be locked away from prying eyes or digital access alike – encrypted whenever possible!

On the other hand, failure to keep a record of the protected health information of patients is a common violation of HIPAA. It is also common to neglect to follow the privacy and security policies of a patient’s provider. For example, a doctor or any authorized individual might not be able to protect their patient’s information if the doctor doesn’t want to keep it. Keeping patient records will help protect the patients’ privacy and well-being.

Lack of Encryption

Encryption is a simple way to protect your patients’ data. If you lose or steal the device that contains their information, they will be protected from malicious hackers who want access at any cost! Even if an individual’s password were somehow compromised on another system (such as hacking incidents), encryption would keep them safe because only those authorized with special decryption keys can unlock it; making misinformation impossible when trying to compromise someone’s personal info via this route.

Getting Hacked OR Phished

Medical practices must take every reasonable step to protect against common hacking methods. Keeping antivirus software updated and active on all devices containing ePHI is a great place to start, as well as using firewalls with strong passwords that are changed frequently will provide additional protection for your practice’s information assets in this ever-changing world of cybercrime.

Employee dishonesty

Some of the most common HIPAA violations are snooping on health care records and not notifying patients. While this is a clear violation, the ramifications of this action are often not as obvious. There are some common ways to violate HIPAA, however, and these can lead to disciplinary or corrective action or even lawsuits.

Unauthorized Access

One of the most common HIPAA violations is unauthorized access to patient data. Employees must take care not to give access to health information to coworkers who may not have the same access rights.

If an employee is caught accessing a patient’s health information without authorization, the healthcare provider can face hefty fines, and the state attorney general can order an investigation into the breach.

Loss or Theft of Devices

Another common violation involves lost company devices. Medical practices must ensure that their devices are secure by installing encryption, multiple passwords, and other theft-deterrents. Limiting access to devices and data based on employee status and job function helps prevent loss or theft of sensitive medical information.

Unauthorized release of information

If a patient’s medical records are shared with an employee, it is also a HIPAA violation. The information contained in the medical records is confidential. If someone has access to private health information without permission, they can face big fines. This is the most common HIPAA violation and should be avoided at all costs. Luckily, the Office for Civil Rights conducts investigations into data breaches. The Office of Civil Rights can also conduct an investigation, so it’s important to keep employees and other employees abreast of the law.

A recent case involved a Texas hospital employee who accessed 596 patient digital files for personal gain. The violation was not intentional and was made with the best intentions. If the same situation occurs at your facility during healthcare operations, you must act immediately to protect patient privacy. If you don’t comply, HIPAA audits will likely be ineffective and could lead to criminal charges. Moreover, if you haven’t taken steps to ensure compliance, you’re likely to be subject to the same penalties.

Lack of Employee Training

Regardless of whether you’re a small or large healthcare provider, HIPAA can be a complicated process. It’s easy to get confused by all of the regulations. Even if you have a clear understanding of the law, mistakes can still occur. Here are some examples: negligently handling patient information, social media (like a Facebook post), and texting on a mobile device.

The same rules apply to social situations. While these situations can lead to huge fines, preventing these violations is not impossible. Investing in proper compliance training and education will help to prevent HIPAA violations. And starting in 2019 there are stricter audits and guidelines to follow.

In addition to the legal issues, several other potential HIPAA violations may affect your business. An example of a potential violation would be, if you have a computer that has a password-protected patient file, you must make sure the password is not visible to anyone except the employees. This violation will cost you dearly. Therefore, it’s important to invest in proper HIPAA training and education for your employees.

Gossiping or Sharing Information

If you are a care provider with access to patient health information need to be careful about what they discuss when talking outside work. Even vocalizing certain topics or accidental disclosure can result in violation fines or other penalties so it’s best not to broadcast anything related unless necessary!

Disposal of PHI

It’s possible to violate HIPAA by using a computer that contains protected health information in an unsafe way. Some of the most common HIPAA violations involve social media platforms, (such as social media posts), and texting. In some cases, it involves improper disposal of records. If these things happen, the penalties can be steep. These violations can lead to costly civil lawsuits. You and your business associate should take steps to avoid them.

Failure to Perform an Organization-Wide Risk Analysis

HIPAA compliance requires thorough risk analysis. This means looking at every aspect of your organization from top to bottom. There are many ways to do this but one of the simplest methods is to conduct a comprehensive audit.

Failure to Manage Security Risks Lack of a Risk Management Process

The security risks associated with healthcare data are significant. They include theft, loss, unauthorized use, misuse, unencrypted storage, and unapproved sharing. To manage these risks, you must develop a comprehensive plan. This includes defining policies, procedures, and protocols. You must also establish a system to monitor and enforce compliance. A good place to start is by conducting a risk assessment.

Failure to Enter into a HIPAA-Compliant Business Associate Agreement

You must enter into a business associate agreement (BAA) with each company that provides services to you. The BAA defines how both parties will share information and protects the privacy of patients. It also ensures that any breach of confidentiality is handled appropriately.

Impermissible disclosure

An “impermissible” disclosure occurs when someone discloses medical information without permission. Examples include disclosing a patient’s name, address, telephone number, email address, Social Security number, date of birth, diagnosis, treatment, or payment status.

3rd Party Organization Disclosure of PHI

The importance of keeping your private information confidential can’t be overstated. If you discuss PHI with those who do not have the right to know, it is a direct violation of HIPAA and could result in fines or even worse – imprisonment!

The Enforcement Rule is a serious matter. If healthcare employees violate it, OCR can levy fines anywhere from $100 per instance to as much as half a million dollars for anyone’s mistake!

NOTE: Before any of a patient’s PHI can be disclosed to a third party for a purpose other than one expressly permitted by the HIPAA Privacy Rule, an authorization form must be obtained from them. Only the exact person who signed the authorization form can get information about a person. Thus, it is critical to review authorization documentation because patients can authorize the release of only certain types of information to specific parties.

To avoid this, keep all vital information confidential and only discuss it with authorized individuals behind closed doors. Similarly, delayed response to patients’ requests for a copy of their medical records can also be considered a violation.

Patients without authorization: a physician had accessed the medical information of celebrities and other public figures without authorization, leading to an investigation.

Response to the patient’s request for medical records needs to be made within 30 days. Failure to respond within 30 days is considered a violation.

HIPAA requires that PHI be shared only when “necessary” – that is, HIPAA-covered entity or business associates must make a reasonable effort to ensure that only the information required to complete a task or perform a job is accessed or shared with authorized persons or classes of individuals, which is another tricky requirement that can lead to violations.

Call Us To Learn How You Can Be HIPAA Compliant

In addition to the above violations, many other HIPAA violations aren’t as obvious. The most common HIPAA violation is the mishandling of patient records. Clinics should keep these records in locked rooms. If the clinician leaves the paper records in the room of a patient, it is a violation of HIPAA. In this case, the employee’s employer can be fined as well.

As a result, HIPAA-covered entities must conduct regular HIPAA compliance reviews to ensure that HIPAA violations are discovered and corrected before regulators become aware of them.

When potential risks and vulnerabilities are identified, covered entities and business associates must decide which measures to implement based on the size, complexity, and capabilities of the organizations, the existing measures already in place, and the cost of implementing additional measures concerning the likelihood of a data breach and the magnitude of the harm it would cause.

For more information please give us a call at (877) 771-2384

HIPAA Do’s and Don’ts for Employees – WheelHouse IT

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HIPAA Do’s and Don’ts for Employees

HIPAA is the law that protects your privacy as a patient. Under HIPAA, health care plans and providers must limit who can see records of you to those with need-to-know information such as doctors, nurses, or a health professional if you are in order for it not to be compromised by outside parties like hackers trying to take advantage from within their organization’s network security measures.

What does HIPAA mean?

HIPAA is a law that protects your privacy as it pertains to health care. There are many restrictions on who can see any of the health plan records, and under this act, you also have the right in regards for getting copies from doctors if needed!

Protected health information: As a rule of thumb, HIPAA is a law that protects your privacy as well as the right to see medical records. It gives patients to access and ability control over their own medical information, which includes doctors’ notes or test results from treatments given at hospitals, health care organizations, and other health agencies.

Your right to protected health

The right under this act also includes getting copies of the patient files or to see their electronic health records if they need more information than what was written down on paper for treatment purposes.

Thus, the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a set of rules that outline what employees should and shouldn’t do with their personal health information.

Protection against privacy violation

The intention was to protect the privacy rights of those who have insurance coverage, but there are still some obligations included in this law that every employer must follow so they don’t run afoul or risk financial penalties from government agencies like CMS- Coast Care Services Incorporated. For years, there have been strict guidelines for protecting patient health information.

Those rules are complicated, but they’re not hard to follow. Here are a few tips to ensure your employees follow them.

Firstly, don’t share health information via text messages. You can send a message through an SMS network or through a healthcare text messaging platform, but you should be sure to shut it down afterward. In addition, you should avoid sharing the ePHI you receive with other people.

When it comes to HIPAA compliance, your employees are no exception. While it’s not required for employers to protect employee health information, your employees must follow them. Using social media to share employee health information may be a violation, as well as losing or stealing devices. In addition, even if your business is no longer operating, you can be held liable for violations. By following the HIPAA guidelines, you can be sure your employees are doing their job right and avoid common errors.

Another important rule of HIPAA is that you should only share PHI with employees who need it. When working with patient information, you should avoid using public locations to work. In addition, shared spaces can be unsafe for you.

They can have questionable WiFi and insufficient restroom facilities. Also, don’t discuss HIPAA-sensitive information with colleagues in public. If you have a need to discuss the HIPAA regulations with someone, try to limit the discussion to other employees.

HIPAA Security: There is really no need in being afraid because there isn’t anything worse than finding out that someone has accessed or obtained sensitive data like social security numbers. The good news? With some careful planning from both parties involved (the company AND employee), this type of scenario can easily be avoided.

Take note: The following list of HIPAA rules is not all-inclusive, but it provides a starting point for understanding how the complicated privacy laws work within your organization. Rules can vary depending on who you are and what type of company or business structure there are at this particular workplace – so be sure to ask if any clarification might suit both parties better!

There are a lot of rules and regulations when it comes to protecting your private information, but don’t worry – we have all the answers for you!

HIPAA do’s and don’ts for employees

Some of the most typical ways in which HIPAA Rules are violated by workers are listed below.

Don’ts of HIPAA

Employees cannot use PHI for personal gain. This includes things like selling PHI, or giving it away to others.
Employees cannot use PHI without permission. For example, they cannot use patient information to make decisions about hiring or firing people.
Employees cannot use PHI to discriminate against anyone. For example, they shouldn’t use PHI to decide whether to hire someone based on race, gender, religion, etc.
Employees cannot use PHI unless it is absolutely necessary. For example, they should not use PHI to determine insurance rates.

HIPAA Do’s

Employees must use secure methods to store patient data. This means that all electronic files containing sensitive information should be stored offline, and encrypted when transmitted.
Employees must take steps to prevent unauthorized access to PHI. They should never give out the login credentials and lock up any device containing PHI.
Employees must keep records of how often they view their patient information files. They should keep track of who viewed the information, and when.
Employees should only disclose PHI to those who need it. For example, doctors, nurses, and other healthcare employees are typically allowed to review medical records and patient health records alike. Unlike healthcare providers or healthcare workers, an HR person would not be authorized to see the same information as the healthcare operations.
Employees must destroy PHI once it is no longer needed. This includes shredding documents containing private health information and wiping computers clean after removing PHI.
Employees must notify patients about privacy breaches. It’s important to inform patients about any security breach, including the time and date it happened.
Employees must train on HIPAA compliance. Training will help them know what to look for, and where to find the relevant information.
Employees must report suspected violations to authorities. Reporting suspected violations help law enforcement agencies catch criminals.

How does HIPAA affect my company?

The criminal penalties for violating HIPAA rules are severe. The fine for each violation is $50 per day, multiplied by the number of days the violation occurred. Companies could also face criminal charges if they violate HIPAA rules.

The punishment for violating HIPAA rules can be severe. The fine is $50 per day, and if a company has committed criminal charges they could face prison time as well!

In addition to the HIPAA Do’s, organizations should also make sure to follow all applicable state and federal laws regarding health information. Similarly, organizations must make sure to conduct annual risk assessments to identify areas of non-compliance, which can result in criminal penalties and monetary penalties. These audits should be done by a compliance officer and should be done in a confidential setting. In some cases, organizations may be required to perform more than one.

For example, healthcare providers should attend annual HIPAA training and review their policies and procedures. It is also a good idea to check them every year with staff members, especially if major changes have occurred in the business. Employees should sign an acknowledgment of HIPAA policies. It is also important to document the dates that employees have received the training and abide by its rules.

NOTE: The most important HIPAA Do is to be sure to follow the regulations.

For health care providers, annual training is an essential step in ensuring compliance. In addition, policies and procedures should be reviewed with staff and updated as necessary. It is also important to ensure that all employees have signed acknowledgments of the policies and procedures. Lastly, all employees should sign an acknowledgment of HIPAA training and review policies and procedures on an ongoing basis. For all healthcare providers and the majority of healthcare employees, this step is critical in ensuring compliance with HIPAA requirements.

What can I do to protect myself from HIPAA violations?

First off, there are two main types of violations: administrative and technical.

Administrative violations occur when companies fail to follow the rules. These include failing to comply with the Privacy Rule (which requires companies to maintain adequate safeguards) and failing to properly dispose of PHI.

Technical violations happen when companies mishandle PHI in some way. Examples of these violations include storing PHI on insecure devices, sharing PHI outside of the organization, and using unsecured email accounts.

Second, you have to understand that HIPAA applies to the covered health care provider, regardless of size. So even though your small business may not have many employees, it still needs to abide by HIPAA regulations.

Third, you should familiarize yourself with the rules. You can get more information at www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa. If you’re unsure about something, contact your health plan administrator or compliance officer.

Compliance violations: To avoid potential violations, healthcare organizations and their business associates must ensure full compliance with the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notifications Rules.

Contact us today!

If your business has been affected by HIPAA, contact us at www.wheelhouseit.com. We offer HIPAA training and consulting services to ensure that your organization complies with HIPAA regulations.

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What Counts as a HIPAA Violation?

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HIPAA Violation: What You Need to Know

Health information is not always as private as you might believe. HIPAA violations can occur without your knowledge, putting your health at risk. These serious violations can result in fines, suspension of hospital privileges, including health plans, and criminal charges. We’ll go over HIPAA, what constitutes a HIPAA violation, and how to keep your health information safe. Read on to find out how to avoid this from happening to you.

What Is HIPAA

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) ensured individuals’ health information privacy and security. The act establishes national standards for protecting electronic healthcare information and prevents healthcare fraud. It also requires covered entities, such as hospitals and doctors, to take steps to protect the confidentiality of protected health information.

HIPAA violations can happen without your knowledge. Only health care providers, their business associates, and the government can access protected health information. Individuals who knowingly obtain or disclose PHI in any manner not permitted by HIPAA may be subject to penalties for violations to criminal fines, and imprisonment for many years.

10 Most Common HIPAA Violations

There are several ways in which individuals can violate HIPAA. Some of the most common violation examples include:

Unlawful disclosures of sensitive health information (PHI): This is when someone knowingly obtains or discloses protected health information in any manner not permitted by HIPAA. For example, sharing PHI with friends or family members, posting it on social media, or selling it to third-party companies.
Unauthorized access to protected health information: This refers to accessing protected health information on another computer without proper authorization. For instance, accessing medical records of someone you do not know or shareseveralseveral your PHI with unauthorized individuals.
Failure to record and log compliance efforts: This is when PHI is disposed of in a way that does not protect the individual’s privacy. For example, throwing protected health information into the trash can where others can easily access it.
Failure to complete a risk assessment: By law, individuals must assess the safeguards needed to protect PHI. It includes what type of information needs to be protected and what steps need to be taken to remain private.
Failure to manage threats to PHI’s confidentiality, integrity, and availability: This includes implementing safeguards to protect PHI from unauthorized access, alteration, or destruction.
Failure to conduct risk analyses when appropriate to maintain PHI’s confidentiality, integrity, and accessibility: This often leads to HIPAA violations. It includes failure to properly password protect electronic PHI, including digital files, using unencrypted email to transmit PHI and unprotected health information on computers or networks.
Inability to keep and monitor PHI access logs: This is a requirement of HIPAA. Access logs must be kept for six years and include the individual’s name, who accessed PHI, what information was accessed, and when it was accessed.
Failure to enter into a HIPAA-compliant business associate agreement with vendors before providing PHI access: Under HIPAA, all covered entities who handle PHI must have a business associate agreement in place. This document spells out the terms and conditions of how protected health information will be shared between the parties involved.
Failure to give copies of PHI to patients upon request Failure to set access controls to limit who can view PHI: This allows individuals only to view the specific information they are authorized to see.
Failure to terminate PHI access rights when they are no longer needed: This includes former employees, students, volunteers, and other individuals who have had access to protected health information.

What You Can Do to Protect Your Health Information

There are a number of things you can do to protect your health information and avoid HIPAA violations. Some of the most important include:

Keep Your Personal Health Information (PHI) Confidential

Avoid disclosure of PHI to anyone who is not authorized to receive it. Do not, for example, share your private health information with friends or family members who are not involved in your healthcare.

Make Sure Your Healthcare Providers Are HIPAA Compliant

Only give PHI to individuals who need it for their work. Ask what they plan to do with the information and if you agree, then share the data. For instance, if you have surgery, your doctor will need to know about all of your allergies.

Always Read Any Agreements Before Allowing Third Party Access to Your Health Records

Ensure you have read and understood the business associate agreement before granting third-party access to patient records. This document specifies the terms and conditions under which PHI may be used and the privacy safeguards that will be in place. Before any of a patient’s PHI can be disclosed to a third party for a purpose other than those expressly permitted by the HIPAA Privacy Rule, the patient must sign an authorization form.

Use a Secure Email System

When emailing PHI, use a secure email system to protect the information from unauthorized individuals. For example, the PHI should be encrypted and protected by a password.

Report Any Data Breaches

If you become aware of security breaches, report them to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) immediately. For instance, if your health information is stolen from your doctor’s office, you should report the incident to HHS.

Review Your Notice of Privacy Practices

You should review and understand what PHI is included in the notice of privacy practice to know that you cannot share information without authorization. For example, a doctor’s office may consist of your Social Security number in the notice of privacy practices.

By taking these steps, you can help protect the privacy of patients’ health information and avoid HIPAA violations. HIPAA violations can happen without your knowledge, but you can take steps to protect yourself.

By keeping personal health information confidential and sharing only what is needed, individuals can keep their health information safe and avoid HIPAA violations. This can be avoided through proper employee training and enforcement by a compliance officer or other staff member.

The Consequences of Violating HIPAA

Potential violations of HIPAA can face a number of consequences, including violation fines and imprisonment. Fines for violating HIPAA are with a minimum of $50,000 per violation, with a maximum of $250,000 per year for violations of the same provision.

Healthcare Employees who have access to health information who violate HIPAA may also be subject to civil penalties and imprisonment. For instance, a person who knowingly obtains or discloses protected health information without proper authorization or consent form could face imprisonment of up to one year.

In addition, all HIPAA violations have civil consequences as well. Individuals can be sued by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for breaching health information or disclosing it in violation of HIPAA. In addition, they can be sued by the person whose protected health information has been disclosed or breached.

The consequences of HIPAA violations are serious and should not be taken lightly.

Why Do We Need to Know About HIPAA Violations?

HIPAA violations occur every year and can have serious consequences. For example, what you do with your health information could affect the rest of your life if it is exposed in a data breach or shared without authorization. Also, what we share about our healthcare may impact others’ lives when they need to find a doctor who can treat them. By taking steps to protect your health information, you can avoid what may be a costly mistake that could follow you for the rest of your life.

Individuals need to be aware of HIPAA violations to protect their health information. By understanding the different ways to violate HIPAA, individuals can take steps to ensure their PHI remains confidential. Knowing what to do if a data breach occurs will help limit the damage if unauthorized access to PHI occurs. You should only share PHI with those who need to know, and all individuals need to understand what constitutes HIPAA violations.

Wheelhouse IT Managed Service Provider Offers HIPAA Compliant Solutions

Healthcare IT is a complex and ever-changing field. The regulations and compliance requirements can be overwhelming for even the most seasoned health care professional.

Wheelhouse IT Managed Service Provider offers HIPAA compliant cloud hosting, disaster recovery, managed backup solutions to help your organization comply with HIPAA guidelines while saving you time and money. We also offer HIPAA compliance training and internal audits to businesses like yours. We know how confusing it can be to find out what’s required of you by law, so we have created this website as an easy reference guide to all things HIPAA-related.

Our services are designed specifically for the Healthcare Industry, which means our team has worked directly with clients in your position before. Hence, we understand exactly what additional layer of support you need when it comes to security compliance issues like these. We offer a variety of different packages that will fit any budget or needs ranging from complete end-to-end management, including hardware installation/configuration, software installation/configuration, network setup/troubleshooting & monitoring, to remote 24/7 support and access to our secure HIPAA compliant cloud hosting platform.

If you are looking for a hassle-free, worry-free way to keep your healthcare data safe and compliant, please do not hesitate to contact us today. We would be more than happy to discuss our HIPAA-compliant hosting solutions with you in more detail and answer any questions you may have.

Please feel free to browse our website or contact us directly today at (877) 771-2384 to find out how we can help your medical practice, hospital, clinic, laboratory, dentist office, or other healthcare facility meet HIPAA requirements quickly and easily at a price that fits your budget.

We look forward to working with you to make your medical practice or organization HIPAA compliant, and you can be sure that because we are committed to helping healthcare and other medical facilities like yours meet their compliance requirements, we will do everything in our power to keep your data safe.

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Why Is Technology Important In Healthcare

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Technology has unquestionably altered virtually every facet of our lives. Each of these aspects–including when we wake up with morning alarms, communication methods, how we shop for ingredients for our recipes, and how we travel–has been impacted by the adoption of technology. Technological advances have made life easier for all of us. One area where these advantages have been particularly beneficial is in healthcare (medical technology).

Technology can, and should, play a vital role in health. In fact, when used effectively, technology can become a major driver for health innovation. Some of the reasons why technology is such an important part of healthcare today are:

The efficiency of real-time record accessible at any time

Nearly all medical records are now electronically available via the cloud, secure shared network, and a variety of digital devices, so there’s no need to “check out” the chart from the chart room anymore. It is now possible to act on critical patient data in ways that would have been impossible without EHRs and other platforms’ comprehensive, real-time data along with communication features, safety alerts, reporting capabilities, and remote access.

Significant clinical data for analysis and treatment

Technology generates a large amount of data that can be used in the management of patient care. The Internet is used to automatically update pacemakers and stents. Some gadgets allow patients’ weight and blood glucose levels to be transmitted. Wearables transmit data on one’s sleep and exercise patterns.

There is also an increase in the amount of Big Data being used to produce reports and analytics that look for population trends and gaps in care management. By combining analytics with technology, it is now possible to identify best practices for improving outcomes on both a clinical and economic level. No doubt collecting and integrating all of this data is making it possible to provide patients with better, more individualized care. But until reimbursement, liability, and capacity issues are resolved, the data flood could be a double-edged sword for clinicians.

Improved medication safety

Because of technological advances, clinicians are now warned before prescribing drugs that could interact with one another or to which a patient has an allergic reaction. Technology has replaced books and human memory with automated safeguards that save lives, from CPOE systems (computerized physician order entry) to EHR alerting features.

Higher quality communication and connectivity

Technology has also made it possible for physicians and care managers to communicate with patients between doctor visits and after hospital discharge. For instance, some apps send automated reminders that ask patients to answer questions after surgery or during healing, and algorithm-driven alerts identify patients at risk for hospital readmission or infection. Patient portals give patients online access to their medical records and medication histories and provide features such as registration, online scheduling, and bill payment. And telehealth platforms allow clinicians to conduct post-op visits, follow up after hospital discharge, or discuss medication adherence issues, all without requiring the patient to come into the office – a significant advantage for patients who have mobility or cognitive issues, or who live in rural areas.

The importance of the use of technology in the health industry

Some of the ways technology has impacted healthcare include:

Electronic Health Record Software

As medical technology improves, hospitals are turning to electronic health records to centralize patient information, ensure accurate patient records, and access to health information, as a result of the complexity of health information. These EHR programs make it easier for doctors to share patient data and an array of health information.

In the delivery of health information, patients can, for example, access their health records from home using electronic health record software. People can use these tools to find out what prescriptions, in the various aspects of patient care, they need to fill or if a doctor’s visit is necessary, enhancing comprehensive medication management.

Telemedicine

Many health organizations are starting to use telemedicine to improve adaptive health care system now that it is becoming more widely accepted. It’s already being used by a few health tech firms. Patients in remote areas can now use apps to communicate with doctors or specialists in other countries, making accessibility of treatment easier in clinical processes. Real-time video calls between these medical professionals are possible thanks to the Internet.

In other cases, health care providers can conduct examinations and issue medication prescriptions over the internet. Health centers will be able to offer more services without having to hire more staff if they use this type of technology. Because of this, they will be able to continue serving rural communities around the world with healthcare.

Big data In healthcare

Big data refers to complex and large data sets that have to be carefully processed and analyzed to identify valuable information that can help form future policies and streamline processes. Concerning the healthcare industry, big data can help in the following ways:

Better hospital staffing – Big data can study the current hospital admission rate and help the administration identify possible future admission rates (based on past data). Depending on the information, it can also highlight which facility might face the maximum admission allowing the hospital to better prepare and allocate ample staff and resources to manage all the patients. This reduces the emergency room wait times, saves money, and improves the overall quality of care.
Fewer medication-related errors – By studying patient records and medical history, big data can analyze inconsistencies in the level of care and flag any error or gap that’s coming between drug prescriptions and patient’s health in the medical field. It can alert the doctors in advance to the patient history if there is a potential risk of a medication error, as well as other medical errors. For example, if a certain kind of medication is causing adverse effects in diabetic patients, big data analysis can highlight this human error so it can be avoided.
Fostering preventive care – Often a large percentage of people coming to the emergency room are recurring patients (also known as “frequent flyers”). Big data can identify this section of patients and help the staff create preventive plans to keep them from coming regularly.

Wearable medical devices

As of 2017, the global wearable medical device market had a value of USD 7,859.4 million. By 2023, the market is expected to reach USD 27,255.6.

Once upon a time, having a physical exam once a year was considered sufficient. Patients would only visit the doctor in the event of an emergency. Patients, on the other hand, are more concerned with prevention and maintenance than damage control in today’s information and technology-driven world. They expect more frequent access to up-to-date information about their health.

As a result of increased demand, new ideas begin to emerge. The healthcare industry is now taking a proactive approach by investing in wearable technology that can provide patients with up-to-date data on their health and alert them well in advance of a major health event.

. Some of these include:

Exercise trackers
Calorie trackers
Heart rate sensors
Sweat meters – mostly used by diabetics to monitor their blood sugar levels.
Oximeters – monitors the amount of oxygen carried in the blood. This came in handy during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. It’s mostly used by people with respiratory illnesses.

Investing in these smart wearable devices can offer various benefits to the healthcare organizations such as:

Some fitness trackers gamify the whole experience of staying fit by adding goals and awards that you win when you complete a certain activity. This encourages users to be mindful of their diet, nutrition, and exercise.
These devices put the patient’s health into their own hands. They feel a sense of ownership and responsibility to track and improve their health.
Information obtained from a wearable device can help insurers rate a patient’s risk for illness more accurately.

Chatbots

Chatbots are artificially intelligent devices that communicate with you (AI). Customer service and marketing campaigns already make use of these devices today. Health tech firms are now using them as well. Asthmapolis, for example, is a mobile app for asthma sufferers. People with asthma who forget to take their medicine will be reminded by this chatbot-enabled app. This aids patients in achieving their wellness objectives.

In addition, hospitals can better track patient health information with it, without having to hire more medical professionals.

Health tech industry jobs and careers

The health industry employs thousands of individuals who work on health tech products every day. Health organizations and healthcare practitioners also employ health care workers who provide health services for patients. With so many health tech jobs available, it’s easier now than ever to enter the health industry and contribute to this growing field.

Artificial intelligence (AI) in health

Using artificial intelligence (AI) in the medical field has already helped diagnose cancer, heart disease, and lung neoplasms. In fact, the FDA has given the green light to an AI program that aids doctors in their diagnostic process. As a result of this technology, human subjectivity is reduced, and patients’ health problems are more easily identified.

Studies have shown, for example, that radiologists are only 50% accurate when it comes to reading mammography reports. Additionally, they only read about 10 slides each day on top of all of the other demands. As a result, their work is boring and monotonous, and they have no motivation to do it.

It’s understandable why so many experts think AI will have a positive impact on healthcare. In fact, healthcare is one of the most likely industries to be disrupted by AI, according to health experts. And this is because health care is a multifaceted subject with numerous untapped potentials.

The role of information technology in healthcare is rapidly evolving. As a whole, technology has revolutionized healthcare. Moreover, this transformation is expected to continue for many more years. Healthcare is about to undergo major changes thanks to advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning as well as deep learning, blockchain, healthcare mobile apps and wearables. There is no limit to how far technology can go in healthcare as long as healthcare organizations and healthcare professionals keep their minds open and create the necessary infrastructure and systems.

A stable and adaptable healthcare technology is the bedrock on which IT services for the healthcare sector are built. With our managed IT services from Wheelhouse IT, your business can meet today’s needs while also preparing for the possibilities of the future — and save money in the process.

Healthcare providers of all sizes have benefited from scalable technological solutions that have allowed them to incorporate new technologies into their operations. For instance, without a reliable network, electronic health records, electronic billing, and comprehensive staff management systems cannot operate. Slow and unreliable networks hamper operation in the healthcare environment.

Technology integration in healthcare isn’t only a means of complying with new regulations. Technological services are helping facilities compete more effectively in their markets. Doing more with fewer resources is the new normal for them. It has resulted in better patient outcomes and fewer errors as a result of better use of their staff’s time. Using data-driven, collaborative processes, they’re finding new avenues.

Partner with Wheelhouse IT

Partnership with an IT service provider can help you meet your current needs while laying the groundwork for the ever-changing role of technology in in the healthcare industry.

At Wheelhouse IT, we can resolve all of your IT issues and bring your systems back to full operation. Even further, we’re well-positioned to help with HIPAA compliance issues, disaster recovery, and loss prevention. The effective operation of your facility depends on your technology and network. Our solutions will keep your data backed-up, private, and secure, even when the unexpected happens.

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Is Google Drive HIPAA Compliant in 2021?

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In a nutshell, yes, Google Drive is HIPAA compliant; but, before it can be utilized in a HIPAA compliant way, additional controls must be applied.

Privacy and security are paramount in the medical profession, but many providers want to take advantage of the efficiency that comes with cloud storage platforms. That’s why so many people have been asking if Google Drive is safe for use by healthcare organizations and professionals.

Wheelhouse IT can help you with your Google Drive cloud storage compliance needs. We offer the best in HIPAA compliant cloud storage, so you don’t have to worry about security or privacy issues. Our team of experts will make sure that all of your data is safe and secure. In this article, we discuss the answer to the question: Is Google Drive HIPAA compliant?

What is protected under HIPAA?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) governs the privacy expectations and rights of patients when it comes to their personal and medical information. A care provider must follow all HIPAA regulations to make sure that this information is stored, shared, and used appropriately in line with the standard security practices.

Protected Health Information, or PHI, is the type of information that HIPAA protects. It can also be referred to as ePHI when talking about digital information, such as what is stored in Google Drive. PHI and ePHI can include:

Patient claims, such as type of claim or date of claim
Patient inquiries, including those that do not result in a claim
Referral authorization requests, such as from a primary care physician to a specialist
Patient’s past, present, or future medical condition, as well as any associated symptoms or diagnoses
Payment information, including credit card information and insurance information
Identifying patient information, such as name, date of birth, or address

If providers fail to follow HIPAA regulations, they can face serious fines, damaging their reputations and potentially losing their license.

But, the good news is that, with some additional user protocol in place, Google Drive can be HIPAA-compliant.

HIPAA and Google

HIPAA regulations require that all medical providers protect PHI and ePHI, including the information stored in the cloud on Google Drive. Most of Google Drive’s functionality is covered under the approved BAA, but not all services can be used with PHI.

Third-party add-on applications are almost never covered under the BAA with Google. This means that providers and staff can use programs offered by Google, such as Google Docs, Google Sheets, Gmail, Calendar, and others, but they may not use add-on applications from other vendors.

How to Use HIPAA-Compliant Google Drive

The actual Google Drive platform is HIPAA-compliant, as the servers themselves are adequately secure and protected. The additional steps required to make the use of Google Drive HIPAA-compliant come in how the users themselves interact with the information stored on their Google Drive.

Before storing any PHI in Google Drive or using any of the services of the Google platform with any information that is protected under HIPAA, users must sign a Business Associate Amendment (BAA), sometimes called a Business Associate Addendum, with Google.

This is reviewed and accepted by the administrator for your Google Workspace license. The administrator can find the BAA under the main menu of their administrator console by clicking on Account Settings and going to the Legal and Compliance tab.

Under the Security and Privacy Additional Terms, look for the menu for Google Workspace/Cloud Identity HIPAA Business Associate Amendment. The administrator will then be able to review and accept the BAA by answering three questions and clicking OK.

How Can You Restrict Access to PHI in Google?

One of the best ways to ensure compliance with HIPAA regulations when using Google Drive is to restrict who can access certain types of files or folders within your Drive or Workspace.

The administrator can restrict access to individual files or folders, as well as regulate the type of sharing permissions that the Workspace as a whole can provide. They can also monitor for unauthorized access and use.

A lot of the protocols for the organization or practice required to follow HIPAA regulations can be put in place by the account administrator.

Some of the best steps to take include:

Restricting sharing ability of files
Only allow sharing within the organization
Disable third-party apps
Disable offline storage
Perform periodic checks
Train employees about HIPAA regulations
Develop a file naming convention that does not include PHI in titles

Best Practices for Google Drive Security

Keeping your Google account secure is a great safeguard against unauthorized access to documents containing PHI.

Some steps can be set up by an administrator, such as requiring users to use two-factor authentication when logging into their account.

Other steps are in the control of the individual user, such as using a strong password and not writing their password down in a place easily seen by unauthorized users.

Another place to be mindful when using Google Workplace and its tools, including Google Drive, is to keep PHI out of document or event titles.

While you may have the document viewing or sharing permissions correct and in accordance with HIPAA if you include identifying information or other PHI in the title, unauthorized users can still view the title of the document.

HIPAA Compliance in the Cloud

Many individuals may mistakenly believe that health care organizations can’t take advantage of cloud technology and capabilities because of their security limitations. This is not true. However, providers have to configure their chosen cloud in a way that protects patient data and follows privacy and security rules.

If you’re interested in learning how HIPAA compliant Google Drive cloud storage could work for your medical practice or office, Wheelhouse IT is here to help. We specialize in healthcare compliance and can show you how to use Google Drive cloud storage without compromising security. With the right partner, it’s easy to stay on top of compliance regulations while still enjoying all the benefits of cloud-based storage. Let us show you how we can help your business thrive with HIPAA compliant Google Drive.

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