2 Tips For Protecting Your Patient's Data During Digital And Physical Transfers To Various Medical Offices
Posted on: 10 April 2019
When you see patients at different office locations, you want to ensure that you keep their medical records and insurance information safe while transferring the data from one place to the next. If you are concerned with sticking to HIPAA's regulations to keep your patient files private, use the following tips when transferring the data both digitally and physically.
1. Ensure You Use an Encrypted Server for Digital Transfers
If you do most of your paperwork on the computer, including doctors' notes, test results, and insurance payment information, you may do most of your file transfers through email and cloud-based systems. However, since computers can be easily hacked and data accessed by those who should not be viewing it, you need to take extra steps to safeguard this information besides simply having a password and turning off your computers at night.
Whenever you have to transfer files over the internet, make sure you use an encrypted server that scrambles the information while in transit. If you decide to use a cloud-based server to store and transfer files, you should do so through a business that specializes in double encryption so that the data cannot be easily viewed by persons without permission to see it.
2. Hire a Secure Data Transport Service for Moving Physical Files
Even in this digital age, you probably still have to make use of hard copies of some of your patients' information. Such data that comes in paper form typically includes x-ray test results or written notes during procedures or examinations. Although you may be able to view the results on a computer, you may sometimes need to view the original copies.
Also, since you see patients at various locations, you may need to send their physical charts between two or three offices. While you could simply take the files with you, you may be in breach of the privacy act, as it is impossible to fully guarantee that the files will not fall into the wrong hands.
However, if you hire a secure data transport service, you can have the files transported safely. These services often have an advanced tracking system, as well as take extra precautions when sealing and storing the files until they reach their final destination.
Ensuring that you handle your patient's files responsibly helps to keep you in compliance with the privacy act, as well as builds trusts with your patients. For more information, contact a business that offers encrypted and secure data transport services.
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