Physicians Practice reports that more aggressive HIPAA enforcement could be on the way. The article lists 3 reasons to anticipate a pending HIPAA crackdown…
(1) the HITECH Act passed in February calls for increased enforcement;
(2) the Department of Health and Human Services recent transfer of enforcement authority to its Office of Civil Rights is seen by some observers as a signal that the administration is taking enforcement more seriously than its predecessor did;
(3) future enforcement will be driven by audits, and will be less dependent solely on complaints.
This could affect your appointment scheduling, patient intake, documentation and billing.
What To Do
The best way to ensure HIPAA compliance is with a software system that is itself HIPAA-compliant, and also instills best practices in your daily workflow. In most cases, your scheduling software acts as the hub for your organization, so that’s often a good place to start. Some of the features to look for in a system include:
Updated password protection
Custom security settings for all your users
Secure, encrypted, offsite data backup
Privacy-sensitive screen views
Ironically, web-based scheduling systems often provide more robust privacy features than traditional software, utilizing the same encryption features banks use to secure your financial data online.
If you are concerned about the HIPAA compliance of your organization, your SpectraSoft consultant can show you the security features in our web-based scheduler AppointmentsEverywhere. Request a web demo today…
You can read the complete Physicians Practice article here.
