Patient Privacy in the Digital Age

The digital age opened a Pandora’s Box of new threats and security concerns for all businesses—especially clinical practices. Federal agencies, like the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST0, and legislations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), drive guidelines and requirements for protecting patient records and confidentiality. And because employers are held accountable for the actions of their employees, the stakes are even higher for ensuring the integrity and security of patient information. Strong privacy and security policies and procedures must be established and followed.

But what about the financial records of patients? Isn’t this information also protected? The answer is “Yes, of course.” So, what can you do to protect this aspect of your practice?

Consider first that every time you recruit and train a medical biller for your office, you are opening the records to a new person—a new set of eyes. Second, it would not be uncommon for this new employee to make errors, especially while training. Manual data entry is always prone to human misunderstandings and mistakes.

Secondly, it depends on the type of software you are using and whether it is cloud-based, or a local server is used.  Is the data backed-up, is it a redundant back-up and if it is backed-up where is this done?  Is the technology encrypted?  All of these questions are key to ensuring that all of your data, including the financial data, is protected.

By outsourcing your billing and collections to Onpoint Medical Solutions, we ensure the security of your patient financial records. Staying ahead of the current medical office software platform requirements and changes within the industry takes awareness and time. Partner with us to make sure your patient financial records are secure, your staff costs are low, and your revenue is maximized.