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How Medical Practices can Boost HIPAA Compliance Efforts and Improve Professional Skills?

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HIPAA Data Breach

It is time for medical practices to revamp their security model!

On Monday, Community Health Systems announced that an external group of hackers attacked its computer network and stole the non-medical data of 4.5 million patients. The news proves that you cannot turn a blind eye towards data breach.  It has not stopped and this one is the second largest HIPAA security breach. Security breaches have affected more than 500 individuals. The security breaches till date, reported to the Secretary of Office of Civil Rights are listed in a detailed summary.

It’s time for a reality check!

The security of patient health information is a top priority for any healthcare service not only to be in compliance with HIPAA but also to assure that patients don’t switch services. The subcontractor who’s business associate of the hospital fails in some cases to ensure that the server which holds patients medical/non-medical data is secure.

What programs need to be conducted by top IT leaders to improve their security model?

Every business associate promises and serves its best to protect its data from all sorts of thefts. But is it right to pass the buck to the business associate or the subcontractor? Shouldn’t the hospitals keep track of updates with their associates from the day they sign the deal? The CIO, CISOs and CSOs of the organisation can learn and run the following programs to improve their security model:

  • It’s time for the top security officials of an organisation to understand the various threats that have happened and the need for skilled and accomplished professionals to manage data security.
  • The IT security officers should gain more expertise in dealing with risk management. Making the privacy policies tight can change the face of the security model of the organisation.
  • The time has come for the doctors, payers and the vendor members to discuss together about their security breach experiences, which will help them come with a stronger security model.
  • The members of healthcare organisations need to have a deep understanding of types of security and theft intelligence.
  • The security force needs to be educated about the most penetrating threats and how they can protect any security breach.

 

Will Obamacare result in better care across the healthcare continuum?

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Affordable Care Act

 

Is Obamacare backing patients into a corner?

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding Obamacare ever since it was launched. It has drawn criticism from all sides. Physicians are cribbing about the tremendous amount of paperwork they have to put up with. And, the pressure to comply with, several federal regulations.

Obamacare which was hoped to improve healthcare outcomes and give the uninsured a new lease of life has been accused of not delivering its promises.

No card no service!

This is the arithmetic of the current healthcare scenario. Many patients have no idea whether they are insured or not. Several of them have walked out of hospitals, despite ailments, fearing a huge bill.

There is no way for patients to prove that they’re insured and this has led to mayhem, untreated patients and frustrated doctors. The sticker shock patients face, gives rise to one pertinent question, whether Obamacare is another failed promise?

Technology will drive healthcare costs down…

Healthcare IT has emerged as the biggest hope for the healthcare industry to cut down on costs and move towards a better model of working. Bending the cost curve isn’t easy but certain medical specialties like radiology have seen a drastic decrease in procedural expenses. From being one of the most expensive specialties, radiology has now managed to become less expensive and contain costs.

Even the skeptics have agreed that the Affordable Care Act can be a harbinger of change. Despite it’s, shortcomings, and a very worried American public.

Here is why the ACA isn’t so bad after all!

  1. The act has empowered patients and has aided them in choosing providers and services that better suit their requirements.
  2. The ACA has standardized medical billing and documentation to a large extent.
  3. It has provided medical practitioners the impetus to explore newer revenue and workflow models.
  4. Risk sharing pay systems can help physicians move away from the traditional fee for service model.
  5. The ACA has made the entire healthcare industry more tech-driven. This means better patient communication and care.