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What are HIPAA Rules for Faxing Medical Records?

What are HIPAA Rules for Faxing Medical Records?

Many doctors, hospitals and healthcare systems are using electronic health records (EHR) to store patient information. But unfortunately, most EHR systems are unable to talk with other competing EHR systems. That’s why medical records today are often still faxed when they need to be shared between healthcare networks.

In the healthcare industry, faxing is still the king of communication methods as interoperability between EHR systems is limited. If you are looking for advice on how to more safely fax patient medical records, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s more information and tips for when a healthcare provider wants to send a medical record by fax. 

HIPAA Compliance and Faxing 

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule was created to protect patient health information (PHI), reduce healthcare fraud and increase the efficiency of the healthcare industry.

This rule was meant for physicians, insurers, healthcare clinics, hospitals and related business entities such as information technology providers, billers and other agencies – organizations who regularly handle PHI. These guidelines are in place to ensure patient privacy. If not followed, the violating organization could face a stiff financial fine.

Faxing PHI is compliant with HIPAA guidelines. However, it isn’t a very convenient communication method, and it could accidentally present opportunities for PHI theft. While HIPAA guidelines require additional safeguards to be in place when faxing PHI, specific safeguard directives are not noted. 

How to More Safely Fax Medical Records 

Constructing standardized procedures for faxing medical records could increase the safety of PHI and prevent medical records from being viewed by unintentional recipients. Here are some handy tips that will increase patient data security when you need to fax medical records.

 Double check the fax number. If a patient gives you a fax number over the phone, always write it down and read it back to them to verify. In addition, after keying the number into your fax machine, verify what you typed in as compared to the number you had written down. After this final verification, you can press the button to send your fax on its way. These verification steps may take a little extra time, but they could be the difference between getting your fax to its intended destination or being received by a misdialed number.

 Program frequently faxed phone numbers into the speed dial feature of your machine. Are there fax numbers that your office sends medical records to, frequently? Program them into your fax machine and you’ll only need to press one button on the machine’s speed dial feature to correctly send your fax.

 Always send faxes with a cover sheet. Have a cover sheet ready to add to the top of a document. Your fax cover sheet should include your organization’s name, your organization’s fax number, your name, the number where you are sending the fax, the name of the person intended to receive the document and a short synopsis about why you are sending the document. Including this information in the cover sheet will help to route your faxed document to the correct person, as quickly as possible.

 Place your fax machine close to a staff member desk, but not in an area that is visible to patients/visitors. Staff proximity is key to patient data security. In addition, place the fax machine in an area that is accessible to staff tasked with collecting and distributing faxes, but secluded enough that patients or others will not be able to see the pages as they are printed and collected in the machine’s output tray.

 Have a procedure for when faxes will be collected from your machine. The best plan is to collect and distribute faxes as soon as they are received by your fax machine. This will reduce the amount of time documents are sitting on the machine and will keep them safer from unwanted eyes.

 If your fax machine (or multi-function printer) is connected to a network, be sure to secure your endpoints to deter hackers from entering. Networked office equipment such as fax machines, copiers and multifunction printers are common targets for hackers. Be sure to secure your equipment by using customized passwords, follow me printing, an option for electronic faxes and network firewalls. 

A Fresh Outside Perspective 

Did you know that many healthcare organizations are unsure of how many fax, printer, copier, multi-function or other business technology devices that are at their organization?

Take a look at this print audit checklist, designed to help you identify vulnerabilities in your business technology and offer some insight into opportunities for improvement. A print audit will assess the condition, settings, security, supply and repair costs of your current business technology.

Or contact the experts at Gordon Flesch Company to schedule a 30 minute needs assessment for a fresh perspective to evaluate your current business technology and your future needs. A Managed Print Services partner might just be what the doctor ordered for your organization. Click the link below to learn more about how a professional review of your business technology could help you gain an advantage over your competition, while improving workflows and efficiencies.  

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Contact Details : inquiry@technicaldr.com or 877-910-0004 www.technicaldr.com

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What is the Role of Technology in Strengthening the Healthcare Supply Chain?

Top executives at medical facilities are considering possibilities to restructure their supply chain management for healthcare to be more efficient in operations and cost-effective. They want to do so while improving patient care as hospitals and health systems gradually adjust to life after the pandemic. 

The ability to save patient lives depends on an effective healthcare supply chain. Additionally, adopting technology is a big step in the direction of increasing that efficiency.

That said, it is not surprising to see that hospitals are utilizing technology more than ever, from patient portals to electronic health records (EHRs). However, it may come as a surprise that hospitals haven’t adopted technology to its fullest in one field: inventory management, often known as supply chain management (SCM).

So it makes sense that supply chain expenses frequently rank among the highest for hospitals and healthcare systems. According to research by Navigant Consulting, hospitals may save an average of 17.7%, or $11 million per hospital, annually by automating and standardizing their supply chain procedures with the use of technology.

​​Healthcare firms gain long-lasting benefits from the conversion of a traditional supply chain to a digital supply chain. Everyone now has access to quicker, safer, more convenient, and more affordable healthcare in the form of digital healthcare. In addition, hospital systems can save operating costs and identify growth prospects thanks to the digitization of the healthcare supply chain.

In this article, we will discuss the various aspects of a healthcare supply chain and explain the importance of adopting technology to make traditional healthcare supply chains even more efficient.

We will see how technology can aid in supply chain development and take a look at the steps to integrate it successfully. Let’s begin. 

What is Supply Chain in the Healthcare Industry?

The production, distribution, and delivery of medications and other healthcare supplies to patients are ensured by a complex network of systems, elements, and procedures known as the supply chain in the healthcare industry. 

Even during pandemics or natural disasters, this intricate worldwide system has been set up with plenty of built-in safeguards to guarantee that medicines and other medical supplies are produced and distributed promptly. 

The ability of the supply chain to anticipate, plan for, and respond to probable interruptions in one or more chain links over a varied pre-established global network is the most important of these defenses.

Pharmaceutical quality standard developers, hospitals, health systems, pharmacies, and health insurance providers are a few of the numerous participants in the healthcare supply chain. However, manufacturers and distributors are crucial to the healthcare supply chain.

We rely on manufacturers to produce the medications and medical supplies that form the initial link in the supply chain in hospitals. Manufacturers control their product flow from the site of manufacturing to wholesalers and, in some cases, directly to a pharmacy or hospital. The second link in the supply chain for healthcare is the distributor.

When it comes to medical supply distribution, distributors buy prescription medicines and other healthcare supplies in huge quantities from manufacturers and carefully manage substantial inventories in key sites across the region. Some wholesalers specialize in serving particular clientele, such as nursing homes, or a particular product category, such as biologics.

What is Supply Chain Management for Healthcare?

Supply chain management for healthcare is the practice of buying and distributing medical goods and services as they are transported from the loading port to the patient.

According to James Spann, Practice Leader of Supply Chain & Logistics at Simpler Healthcare,

The management of the healthcare supply chain is quite difficult. The difficulties are only exacerbated by inadequate data reporting, subpar product uniformity, growing regulatory requirements, and a general lack of automation.

While there are many difficulties in supply chain management, the main problems are hoarding of goods, desire for particular products that are in stock, product expirations, out-of-stock problems that may result in high delivery costs, theft, and an unjustified increase in inventory costs based on demand. These and other problems are a factor in supply costs that exceed the budget.

Role of Supply Management in Healthcare

The purpose of the supply chain in the healthcare industry is to identify departmental vulnerabilities and suggest solutions to mitigate them. It tries to pinpoint problematic areas to attain desired health outcomes and boosts financial support for international health. 

The benefits of a good supply chain in the healthcare industry include enhanced operations, efficient resource usage, content staff, successful treatment, and contented patients.

Supply management in healthcare enables proper integration of hospital departments, operations, and revenue cycle. The supply chain can be thought of as a backend application that is essential for integrating all the various activities.  

Supply chain management in hospitals ensures that medications and other products are available when they are needed, reduces inventory waste, improves patient care, and coordinates efforts across all departments to reduce human and pharmaceutical errors.

This can be done by taking various actions, such as integrating digital subsystems, optimizing processes, and incorporating technologies to promote supply chain digitalization.

How Crucial is Technology in the Healthcare Supply Chain?

The incorporation of cutting-edge, disruptive technologies into supply chain management systems, such as data analytics, AI(artificial intelligence), IoT, and Blockchain, promotes efficient operations, enhanced security, and rapid growth in the global healthcare sector.

Markets & Markets predicts that the worldwide healthcare supply chain management market will grow from $2.2 billion in 2020 to $3.3 billion by 2025. The development of cloud-based solutions, decreased operating expenses, increased efficiency, and general profitability are key drivers fostering this expansion. The widespread use of SCM, particularly in the healthcare sector, is proving to be incredibly advantageous for people’s lives which is boosting the growth of the healthcare supply chain management market.

How can Emerging Technologies Transform Healthcare Supply Chain Solutions?

The results could be fatal or drastically alter a patient’s life if practitioners run into unexpected shortages while providing care. Fortunately, technological advancements can lead to a stronger supply chain in hospitals that is more resilient to shocks. Following are the ways in which some of the most cutting-edge modern technologies can propel us towards a more efficient digital healthcare with robust medical supply distribution. 

Increasing visibility using blockchain

Blockchain and cryptocurrencies are frequently used interchangeably. Although this digital ledger technology began there, its promise extends well beyond that. For instance, the blockchain might make it easier to share knowledge about medical supplies and other vital items that sustain healthcare institutions.

The circular economy seeks to reduce waste and repurpose resources to meet changing requirements. A recent paper explores how the blockchain could support this approach. For instance, the authors mentioned how, after the COVID-19 outbreak began, distilleries switched to making hand sanitizer, and those with spare fabric utilized it to make face masks for essential personnel.

​​The most effective new methods for tracking the whole lifecycle of a medicine, down to a single dose, are those based on blockchain technology. To provide a way to track items securely and dependably throughout their entire lifecycle, organizations are already developing a range of innovative blockchain-based solutions. 

By decreasing fraud and enabling better-managed quality in the production and distribution of pharmaceuticals, blockchain plays a critical role in supply chain transformation. Pharmaceutical corporations like Pfizer and Roche are already actively developing such solutions.

Predictive analysis and AI

The way that data is managed, analyzed, and used across all industries has undergone a fundamental transformation, thanks to AI. Organizations now use predictive analytics instead of the more fundamental descriptive kind because of the strides in AI. Monitoring patterns and estimating the possibility of future events are made easier with the use of predictive analytics. 

Healthcare firms can use predictive analysis to take advantage of statistical data and manage the supply chain in hospitals and elsewhere by reducing variance while also learning more about demand trends and supply utilization. Accurate forecasting supported by data facilitates the optimization of inventories and aids in better-informed decision-making.

IoT and RFID tracking

The workforce may lose hours of production over a simple activity like finding an asset. The use of IoT-capable devices equipped with hospital supply chain software with RFID(Radio-frequency Identification) tracking systems may prove to be both cost and time-efficient. 

The assets can be located, tracked, and monitored using a real-time location system (RLTS). In addition to streamlining the healthcare supply chain, automated inventory tracking also gives full system awareness.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

The labor-intensive, repetitive, and manual processes in a healthcare supply chain are eliminated by the adoption of an RPA system. Usually, it cuts down on the time and money spent on a supply chain and gets rid of the chance that human error will be a problem down the line. 

Routine automated tasks improve productivity and lower costs. Modernizing a warehouse with RPA-deployed devices optimizes revenue and boosts productivity.

Drone technology

When it comes to quickly and efficiently delivering medications, vaccines, medical kits, and other supplies, drone technology can provide organizations an advantage. Drones can help with challenging deliveries by serving as adaptable courier equipment. 

When necessary, it can also be used to deliver blood or blood samples to the desired recipient at the specified location. Additionally, compact indoor drones can be put in hospital buildings to be used to carry medications to patients right at their bedsides.

Healthcare Supply Chain Automation

With the straightforward objective of improving the supply chain process, supply chain software streamlines and automates routine manual processes carried out within healthcare firms. 

Among the many advantages of software automation is its ability to streamline inventory, reduce waste, enable quick, data-based decisions, and reduce labor, supply, and operational costs. For these reasons, it is becoming increasingly crucial to enlist the help of supply chain software development firms like Appinventiv. 

​​Typically, there are two categories of SCM technology solutions available to decision-makers in medical supply inventory management.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are the first option, but they are not necessarily the ideal option for hospitals because they are used in many different industries, and the vendors frequently lack considerable healthcare knowledge.

Since ERP systems are often adopted by bigger, non-healthcare-related firms, they may take longer to build and require specialized customization resources, resulting in a system that is essentially rigid and that healthcare professionals must adapt to rather than having it adapt to their workflows.

The second type, referred to as specialty healthcare inventory and supply chain solutions, frequently have lower prices and incorporates more in-depth industry knowledge, resulting in adaptable, healthcare-focused solutions. These kinds of systems frequently concentrate on particular fields, such as surgery, interventional medicine, and other healthcare divisions.

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Hackers exploiting medical devices to target hospitals

Medical devices are a weak link in hospital cyber defenses, putting patients in the crossfire: study

Patients are feeling the effects of cyber attacks entering through the internet of medical things as hospitals continue to pass the buck.

    Half of hospitals have been attacked with ransomware with 45% of organizations stating they believed the attacks were affecting patient care, according to a study released by Cynerio and Ponemon. Out of the group attacked, over half believed cyber attacks were indirectly responsible for increased mortality rates. The report cited integral medical devices being a weak link in hospital armor and a lack of foresight sending hospitals spiraling into attack cycles.

    “What we find is that the healthcare industry is by far the highest risk industry with respect to emerging threats and vulnerabilities and real attacks, not just the possibility of an attack, but real legitimate attacks,” said Larry Ponemon, founder and chairman of the Ponemon Institute. “These organizations have been inept in implementing security processes, especially if we include issues around IoT, internet of things and internet of medical things.”

Ponemon pointed to these devices that are ubiquitous in hospitals, everything from MRI machines to heart rate monitors, which were involved in 88% of data breaches. Furthermore, 79% of organizations do not consider the cybersecurity of these devices to be deemed “mature,” and only 33% of survey respondents reported keeping an inventory of the attacked devices. Without the proper defense, these devices can become revolving doors for hackers, experts say.

“Medical devices create problems for organizations that don't understand how to secure them,” Ponemon said. “Based on our study, and other studies conducted, the weakest link in the security chain within healthcare is managing these devices, because it's not one device. It's hundreds of devices.”

  Chad Holmes, security evangelist at Cynerio, said the issue is not ignorance of the cyber threat or an unwillingness to address it, but the prioritization of patient care above cybersecurity. He said these new technologies have been adopted at a rapid rate for their life-saving functions but without an adequate assessment of the risks they pose.

“One thing that's really challenging in health care networks is that they're typically considered flat, meaning they're not segmented,” Holmes said. “It's  easy or traffic to bounce around, so an attack may not go into an IV pump, necessarily, although it can, but once it's in it can use those hundreds of thousands of IV pumps to kind of replicate throughout the environment.”

If a system is attacked once in this way, it’s likely less expensive to pay the ransom than refit the entire system, but Holmes said that if a hacker perceives a target as a potential steady source of revenue, an attack cycle begins. In cases like the infamous University of Vermont Medical Center hack, it’s undoubtedly less expensive to include cybersecurity in this year’s budget, not next. With half of survey respondents choosing to pay the ransom simply because it was the quickest path to recovery, the threat of future attacks only continues to grow.

On average, systems are paying $250,000 to $500,000 in any single ransomware attack, according to the study. That's not mentioning the fees incurred due to lost patient information, per the 2009 HITECH Act dictating that health institutions be charged steep penalties for exposing patient records.

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Benefits of Electronic Health Records (EHR)

According to a 2021 survey conducted by Black Book Research, around 80% of healthcare providers reported being satisfied with their EHRs. (Black Book Research, 2021). Other surveys have also shown high levels of satisfaction among providers, with results ranging from 70% to 85% (Sources: HIMSS Analytics, 2020; KLAS Research, 2019).

EHR Systems store comprehensive patient medical history over time in a digital format which allows real-time and secure access to authorized users, reduces likelihood of errors and lets multiple providers work together more easily to coordinate care for a patient, resulting in better outcomes and fewer medical errors.

Advantages of EHR

1. Proven to improve patient care

Some areas of positive impact on patient care include:

Improved patient safety due to reduction in likelihood of medical errors, such as medication errors and duplicate tests.

Improved quality of care because providers get real-time access to patient information, allowing for more accurate and timely diagnoses and treatments.

Better patient outcomes such as increased patient satisfaction and decreased readmission rates.

Increased efficiency due to streamlined processes which reduce administrative burdens, freeing up healthcare providers to focus on patient care.

Enhanced collaboration makes it easier for healthcare providers to communicate and collaborate, improving patient care.

2. Fosters enhanced patient engagement

The majority of patients today are digitally savvy. As baby boomers are replaced by millennials in ambulatory practices, this trend will only increase. Patient engagement is fostered in several ways:

Access to personal health information: Patients get access to their own health records, test results, and medication lists, empowering them to be more involved in their own care.

Secure communication with healthcare providers: Patients can communicate with their healthcare providers through secure messaging, improving communication and fostering engagement.

Better self-management: Tools for self-management, such as appointment scheduling and medication reminders, encouraging patients to take an active role in their own health.

Improved education: Educational resources and health information bundled with the software allow patients to better understand their conditions and treatments.

Improved coordination of care: Healthcare providers find it easy to coordinate care thereby improving patient outcomes and fostering engagement.

3. Improves care coordination and decreases fragmentation of care

Care coordination offers significant benefits to patients, providers and payors by improving both clinical and business outcomes. It gives EHRs the potential to integrate and organize patient health information and facilitate its instant distribution among all authorized providers involved in a patient's care. EHRs can decrease the fragmentation of care by improving care coordination as every provider can have the same accurate and up-to-date information about a patient.

Better availability of patient information can reduce medical errors and unnecessary tests.

Better availability of information can also reduce the chance that one specialist will not know about an unrelated (but relevant) condition being managed by another specialist.

Better care coordination can lead to better quality of care and improved patient outcomes.

4. Improves diagnostics and patient outcomes

Errors are reduced with an EHR. One simple benefit of an EMR is that patient notes become more legible. Patient care can also improve when real-time record keeping is introduced in an ambulatory setting. This will positively affect quality scores, and ultimately, reimbursement.

Communication about treatment details between all the disparate points of the healthcare delivery system is improved. Tracking treatment from multiple providers is more efficient thereby improving diagnostics and patient outcomes. Just as importantly, patient communication will be improved, along with their participation via interactive portals when they can access treatment details or healthcare instructions. These communication hubs can help with population health initiatives like improving proactive education for diabetic patients.

5. Proven to increase practice efficiencies resulting in cost savings.

In addition to reducing claims denial, EHRs provide a faster way to communicate test results, less paperwork, and even meaningful use financial incentives to help providers explore the benefits of EMR. It’s safe to say that most physicians’ today struggle under this added burden of reporting, both for compliance as well as reimbursement.

6. Increased control of personal health information

PHI can easily be transmitted between providers without hand-copying files and carrying records to and from each specialist they visit. EHR interoperability allows data to flow between providers seamlessly.

7. Improved Efficiency

The efficiency of healthcare delivery can be improved by EHRs, as administrative tasks such as scheduling appointments, managing prescriptions, and processing insurance claims are reduced. This can lead to a reduction in wait times and an improvement in the overall patient experience.

8. More Accurate Diagnoses

A complete and up-to-date record of a patient's medical history can help healthcare providers make more accurate diagnoses, allowing for the identification of patterns and trends in a patient's health and more informed decisions about their care. For example, potential underlying causes of a patient's symptoms can be identified and more effective treatment plans can be developed by healthcare providers with the assistance of EHRs, especially when the patient has a complex medical history.

9. Reduction in unnecessary testing

When physicians do not have access to prior data, they often repeat testing, which is a huge waste of time and money. This is especially important if the test is invasive, causing unnecessary discomfort for the patient.

11. Faster prescribing

e-prescribing, has completely eliminated the time spent calling in an RX. While patients streamlined communications between their physician office and the pharmacy, they don’t realize that electronic prescriptions also have the potential to save lives. There is an old joke that a physician has the worst handwriting in the world. However, that scratchy penmanship has been the cause of prescription mistakes between the provider and the pharmacist. An EHR can eliminate this potential risk.

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Smart Devices for Healthcare in Low-Resource Settings: Risks and Benefits

Smart devices, such as smartphones, tablets, wearables, and sensors, have the potential to transform healthcare delivery in low-resource settings, where access to quality care, infrastructure, and trained personnel is often limited. However, using smart devices for healthcare also poses some risks and challenges that need to be addressed. In this article, we will explore some of the benefits and drawbacks of using smart devices for healthcare in low-resource settings, and how to overcome some of the common barriers.

Benefits of smart devices

One of the main benefits of using smart devices for healthcare in low-resource settings is that they can enable remote diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of patients, reducing the need for travel, referrals, and hospitalization. For example, smart devices can be used to capture and transmit vital signs, images, sounds, and test results to health workers or specialists, who can then provide feedback, guidance, or prescriptions. Smart devices can also be used to deliver health education, reminders, and alerts to patients and caregivers, improving adherence, prevention, and self-management. Additionally, smart devices can facilitate data collection, analysis, and sharing, improving health surveillance, research, and decision-making.

Risks of smart devices

However, using smart devices for healthcare in low-resource settings also entails some risks and challenges that need to be considered. One of the main risks is the lack of privacy and security of the health data collected and transmitted by smart devices, which can expose patients and health workers to identity theft, fraud, or misuse. Another risk is the reliability and quality of the smart devices and the health information they provide, which can vary depending on the manufacturer, the user, the network, and the environment. Moreover, using smart devices for healthcare can also create ethical, legal, and social issues, such as informed consent, liability, accountability, and equity, that need to be addressed by appropriate policies, regulations, and standards.

Barriers to using smart devices

Besides the risks and challenges, there are also some barriers that hinder the adoption and use of smart devices for healthcare in low-resource settings. Some of the common barriers are the lack of affordability, availability, and accessibility of smart devices and their related services, such as electricity, internet, and mobile networks. Another barrier is the lack of interoperability and integration of smart devices and their data with existing health systems and platforms, which can limit their functionality and impact. Furthermore, there is a lack of capacity and skills among health workers and patients to use smart devices effectively and safely, which can affect their usability and acceptance.

Solutions to overcome barriers

To maximize the benefits of using smart devices for healthcare in low-resource settings and overcome some of the barriers, context-specific and user-centered design and evaluation of smart devices should be developed and implemented, with clear and consistent policies, regulations, and standards for their data to ensure privacy, security, and ethics. Furthermore, affordable, reliable, and accessible smart devices should be provided and supported to ensure availability and accessibility. Interoperability and integration of smart devices should also be enhanced to ensure functionality and impact. Finally, capacity and skills among health workers and patients should be built up to use smart devices effectively and safely, ensuring their competence and confidence.

Future trends and opportunities

Smart devices for healthcare in low-resource settings have been around for a while, but they are rapidly evolving due to technological innovation, user demand, and global health challenges. As they become more advanced, affordable, and accessible, they provide new opportunities and possibilities for improving health outcomes, quality of life, and health system performance. Emerging trends and opportunities include using AI and ML to enhance the diagnosis, prediction, and decision-making capabilities of smart devices; using blockchain and DLT to improve the transparency, traceability, and security of health data; using IoT and cloud computing to connect multiple smart devices; and using VR and AR to create immersive and interactive health education experiences.

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New HIPAA Regulations in 2023

New HIPAA Regulations in 2023

New HIPAA regulations – and changes to other laws that Covered Entities have to take into account – are enacted fairly frequently. In recent years, new HIPAA regulations and changes to other laws have mostly had a minimal impact on HIPAA compliance. However, many of the anticipated HIPAA changes in 2023 could have a more significant impact

The last major update to the HIPAA Rules was in 2013, when the HIPAA Omnibus Final Rule introduced new HIPAA regulations mandated by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. Since then, most HIPAA changes have consisted of amendments to existing standards to accommodate changes to other laws, Executive Orders, and new transaction code sets.

The next major update is now due, as OCR issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on December 10, 2020, proposing a slew of changes to the HIPAA Privacy Rule. The Final Rule is expected to be published in the Federal Register at some point in 2023 now the comment period has closed. However, no date has been provided on when the Final Rule will be published, nor when the 2023 HIPAA changes will take effect (see the New HIPAA Regulations in 2023 section below).

For several years, new HIPAA regulations have been under consideration concerning how substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health information records are treated and protected. SUD records are covered by the Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records (42 CFR Part 2) regulations, which serve to protect the privacy of substance use disorder patients who seek treatment at federally assisted programs, whereas other healthcare data is covered under HIPAA.

New HIPAA and Part 2 Rulemaking

The CARES Act was passed by Congress on March 27, 2020, to ensure that every American has access to the care they need during the COVID-19 pandemic and to address the economic fallout from the SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. Individuals suffering from substance use disorder (SUD) must also be able to get the treatment they need during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has meant changes needed to be made to Part 2 regulations. The CARES Act improved Part 2 regulations by expanding the ability of healthcare providers to share the records of individuals with SUD but also tightening the requirements in the event of a breach of confidentiality.

The proposed changes to Part 2 regulations are based on the Legacy Act, which was introduced by Sens. Capito (R-WV) and Manchin (D-WV). Rather than having to obtain consent from a SUD patient for each use or disclosure, and for consent forms to state the specific parties with whom the information will be shared named in the consent form, patients can give broad consent for their SUD records to be shared for the purposes of treatment, payment, and healthcare operations.

How are New HIPAA Regulations Introduced?

The process of implementing HIPAA updates is slow. Before any regulations are introduced, changed, or rescinded, the Department of Health and Human Services seeks feedback through a Request for Information (RFI) on aspects of HIPAA regulations that are proving problematic or, due to changes in technologies or practices are no longer as important as when they were originally published.

After considering the comments and feedback received from the RFI, the HHS releases a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) which is followed by a comment period. Comments received from healthcare industry stakeholders are considered before a Final Rule is issued. HIPAA-regulated entities are then given a grace period to make the necessary changes before compliance with the new HIPAA regulations becomes mandatory and the HIPAA changes become enforceable.

New HIPAA Regulations in 2023

There are expected to be new HIPAA regulations in 2023 when OCR publishes the final rule on the proposed changes to the HIPAA Privacy Rule. While there have been calls from industry stakeholders to make several other HIPAA updates in 2022, there are unlikely to be any other new HIPAA laws in 2023. Given the extent of the proposed HIPAA changes in 2022 through the Privacy Rule update and their impact on HIPAA-regulated entities, further notices of proposed rulemaking on HIPAA updates are unlikely in 2023.

Final Rule Expected on Proposed Changes to the HIPAA Privacy Rule

OCR issued a request for information in December 2018 asking HIPAA-covered entities for feedback on aspects of HIPAA Rules that were overly burdensome or obstructed the provision of healthcare, and areas where HIPAA updates could be made to improve care coordination and data sharing.

OCR was specifically looking at making changes to aspects of the HIPAA Privacy Rule that impede the transformation to value-based healthcare and areas where current Privacy Rule requirements limit or discourage coordinated care. The proposed changes to HIPAA include the easing of restrictions on disclosures of PHI that require authorizations from patients and several HIPAA changes to strengthen patient rights to access their own PHI. One proposed change that has attracted some criticism is the requirement to make the sharing of ePHI with other providers mandatory. Both the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the American Medical Association (AMA) have voiced their concern about the mandatory sharing of healthcare data, and also against another proposed change that shortens the timescale for responding to patient requests for copies of their medical records.

The proposed new HIPAA regulations announced by OCR in December 2020 are as follows:

Allowing patients to inspect their PHI in person and take notes or photographs of their PHI.

Changing the maximum time to provide access to PHI from 30 days to 15 days.

Requests by individuals to transfer ePHI to a third party will be limited to the ePHI maintained in an EHR.

Individuals will be permitted to request their PHI be transferred to a personal health application.

States when individuals should be provided with ePHI at no cost.

Covered entities will be required to inform individuals that they have the right to obtain or direct copies of their PHI to a third party when a summary of PHI is offered instead of a copy.

HIPAA-covered entities will be required to post estimated fee schedules on their websites for PHI access and disclosures.

HIPAA-covered entities will be required to provide individualized estimates of the fees for providing an individual with a copy of their own PHI.

Pathway created for individuals to direct the sharing of PHI maintained in an EHR among covered entities.

Healthcare providers and health plans will be required to respond to certain records requests from other covered healthcare providers and health plans, in cases when an individual directs those entities to do so under the HIPAA Right of Access.

The requirement for HIPAA-covered entities to obtain written confirmation that a Notice of Privacy Practices has been provided has been dropped.

Covered entities will be allowed to disclose PHI to avert a threat to health or safety when harm is “seriously and reasonably foreseeable.” The current definition is when harm is “serious and imminent.”

Covered entities will be permitted to make certain uses and disclosures of PHI based on their good faith belief that it is in the best interest of the individual.

The addition of a minimum necessary standard exception for individual-level care coordination and case management uses and disclosures, regardless of whether the activities constitute treatment or health care operations.

The definition of healthcare operations has been broadened to cover care coordination and case management.

The Armed Forces’ permission to use or disclose PHI to all uniformed services has been expanded.

A definition has been added for electronic health records.

Challenges Complying with the New HIPAA Regulations in 2023

The proposed changes to the HIPAA Privacy Rule are a cause of concern for many covered entities, business associates, and patient privacy advocates due to the potential impact they will have on the privacy and security of healthcare data, and the administrative and economic burden the changes may place on healthcare providers. While changes have been made to align the Part 2 regulations more closely with HIPAA, there has been criticism that the proposed changes have not gone far enough.

While some of the proposed changes to the HIPAA Privacy Rule are intended to ease the administrative burden on healthcare organizations, when the Final Rule is published, considerable time and effort will need to be put into implementing the changes. There will be a need to update HIPAA policies and procedures and communicate those changes to patients and health plan members. Employees will need to be given further HIPAA training, as the HIPAA Privacy Rule requires training to be provided whenever there is a material change to HIPAA policies. Training courses will need to be updated, and providing training to the workforce has the potential to cause workflow disruption. The Privacy Rule is largely concerned with restricting the uses and disclosures of PHI. The latest HIPAA changes introduce new requirements to make healthcare information flow more freely and improve access rights for patients. Implementing those HIPAA changes could well create challenges for healthcare organizations.

Latest HIPAA Updates Relating to Transaction Code Sets

In the introduction to this article, it was mentioned that most HIPAA changes have consisted of amendments to existing standards to accommodate changes to other laws, Executive Orders, and new transaction code sets. While it is understandable that most covered entities’ attention may be focused on the proposed modifications to the Privacy Rule, it is important to keep up to date with the latest HIPAA updates relating to transaction code sets.

This is because, in December 2022, HHS’ Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a proposed rule which would add three new transaction codes to the existing transaction code sets. The new transaction codes are to enable the electronic transmission of healthcare attachment transactions – transactions in which further information is provided to support an authorization request or a bill, or to preempt a query relating to a bill.

Currently, healthcare attachment transactions are sent by fax or mail and, by facilitating the electronic transmission of these transactions, the new transaction codes will accelerate authorizations, treatments, and payments. However, to validate their authenticity, electronically transmitted healthcare attachment transactions will have to be digitally signed by software capable of supporting the HL7 IF for CDA R2 protocol.

HIPAA Privacy Rule Changes Proposed after Dobbs

In June 2022, the Supreme Court delivered a decision in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization which overruled previous rulings that the Constitution of the United States protects a pregnant individual’s liberty to have an abortion. The decision led to many anti-abortion states passing laws that prohibited or restricted terminations, and resulted in tens of thousands of women crossing state lines to terminate pregnancies.

Anti-abortion states are unable to prevent women crossing state lines for terminations, but some have introduced legislation that criminalizes assisting or facilitating an abortion procedure. In response, neighboring states are introducing “shield” laws to prevent the extraterritorial application of anti-abortion legislation and protect their citizens for being charged for assisting or facilitating an event which is safe and legal in their home state.

The patchwork of state legislation is a concern to OCR due to possible uses or disclosures of PHI in extraterritorial civil, criminal, or administrative investigations or proceedings. Currently, covered entities are permitted to disclose PHI for judicial and administrative proceedings under §164.512(e) of the Privacy Rule, and OCR believes this may result in patients withholding information from healthcare providers. Consequently, the agency is proposing:

A definition of “reproductive health care” is added to HIPAA. This definition will not only cover terminations, but also contraception, fertility, and miscarriage health care.

New limitations will be imposed on uses and disclosures of PHI relating to reproductive health care that cannot be bypassed by obtaining consent or an authorization.

The limited uses and disclosures will be subject to an attestation that PHI will not be further used or disclosed for an out-of-state judicial or administrative proceeding.

The proposed HIPAA Privacy Rule changes will also clarify that providing or facilitating reproductive health care is not abuse, neglect, or domestic violence.

To reassure patients that PHI relating to reproductive health care will not be used or disclosed, a new section must be added to existing Notices of Privacy Practices.

Recent Changes to HIPAA Enforcement

Halfway through 2018, OCR had only agreed to three settlements with HIPAA-covered entities to resolve HIPAA violations and its enforcement actions were at a fraction of the level in the previous two years. It was starting to look like OCR was easing up on its enforcement of compliance with the HIPAA Rules. However, OCR announced many more settlements in the second half of the year and closed 2018 on 10 settlements and one civil monetary penalty – One more penalty than in 2018. 2018 ended up being a record year for HIPAA enforcement. The final total for fines and settlements was $28,683,400, which beat the previous record set in 2016 by 22%.

OCR’s enforcement activities continued at a high level in 2019 and OCR closed the year with 10 settlements and civil monetary penalties, totaling $12,274,000. In late 2019, OCR announced it was embarking on a new enforcement drive focused on compliance with the HIPAA Right of Access, which requires individuals to be provided with timely access to their medical records for only a reasonable, cost-based fee.

HIPAA Civil Monetary Penalty Overturned

In 2018, OCR imposed a civil monetary penalty of $4,348,000 on the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. OCR launched an investigation into three data breaches that collectively resulted in an impermissible disclosure of PHI of almost 35,000 individuals. The incidents occurred in 2012 and 2013 and involved the theft of an unencrypted laptop computer and two flash drives.

OCR determined MD Anderson had violated the HIPAA Rules by failing to encrypt the devices. In April 2019, MD Anderson appealed the fine alleging the HHS did not have the authority to impose the penalty and that it was excessive. In January 2021, the penalty was overturned and OCR admitted it could not defend a fine of more than $450,000. The case was remanded for further proceedings and the civil monetary penalties were vacated by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. The judge stated the civil monetary penalties were “arbitrary, capricious and otherwise unlawful.”

OCR Gets a New Director

In September 2021, 8 months into the Biden administration, Lisa J. Pino was appointed as the new OCR Director, taking over from acting OCR director Robinsue Frohboese who headed the agency since the resignation of Roger Severino in January 2021. In contrast to past directors, Pino had cybersecurity and data breach experience, having served as a senior executive service official and senior counsel in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Pino’s cybersecurity experience was expected to see a change in how OCR conducts investigations of data breaches, especially in light of the HIPAA Safe Harbor Law. However, Piso left the role in July 2022, less than a year into her tenure, and Melanie Fontes Rainer was appointed OCR Director. It is unclear what direction she will take OCR in.

Penalty Structure for Violations of HIPAA Regulations in 2022/2023

In 2019, there was a notable HIPAA change related to enforcement action. OCR issued a Notice of Enforcement Discretion after reinterpreting the requirements of the HITECH Act regarding penalties for non-compliance with the HIPAA Rules.  The HITECH Act called for an increase in penalties for non-compliance with the HIPAA Rules and at the time, the HHS interpreted the language of the HITECH Act as requiring a cap of $1.5 million for HIPAA violations across all four penalty tiers. In 2019, the requirements of the HITECH Act were reassessed and interpreted differently. Rather than capping the penalties across all four tiers at the same amount, different maximum fines (adjusted for inflation) were set for each of the four tiers,

New HIPAA Regulations in 2021

While there were no changes to HIPAA regulations in 2021, new legislation was introduced related to the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules in terms of cybersecurity, patient access to healthcare data, and HIPAA enforcement.

2021 HIPAA Safe Harbor Law Updating the HITECH Act

On January 5, 2021, the HIPAA Safe Harbor Bill (HR 7898) was signed into law by President Trump and amended the HITECH Act. The purpose of the HIPAA Safe Harbor Bill was to encourage healthcare organizations to adopt “recognized security practices” to improve their defenses against cyberattacks.

The HIPAA Safe Harbor Bill instructs the HHS to take into account the cybersecurity best practices that a HIPAA-regulated entity has adopted, which have been consistently in place for the 12 months preceding any data breach when considering HIPAA enforcement actions and calculating financial penalties related to security breaches and HIPAA Security Rule violations.

  HIPAA Changes in 2020/2021 Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic Will End on May 11, 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has not resulted in any permanent changes to HIPAA, but it has seen unprecedented flexibilities introduced on a temporary basis to make it easier for healthcare providers and business associates on the front line in the fight against COVID-19.

During emergency situations such as disease outbreaks, the HIPAA Rules remain in effect and the requirements of the HIPAA Privacy Rule, Security Rule, and Breach Notification Rule remain unchanged. However, enforcement of compliance may be eased.

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Electronic Health Records: Advantages And Implementation

Overview of TSF consultant management

TSF consultant management is a dedicated software consultant with many years of experience in the successful installation of electronic health record software in several medical facilities. TSF consultant Management Company is a registered company in the country under the registration of companies Act. The headquarters of TSF consulting management company in New York City. The company has built a fruitful and good rapport with many government departments, agencies, firms, NGOs among others both nationally and internationally. The application of electronic health records has been growing in recent years and this has seen the TSF consultant management company offering its services to many health centers and medical facilities. Many organizations are adopting electronic health records methods because of their numerous advantages over the manual method of data storage. To assist in the improvement and installation of electronic health records, TSF consultant management has promoted and championed the campaign of the technological shift from manual systems to electronic systems in record keeping. The TSF consulting Management Company has positioned itself in the market to work with both government and private organizations with a focus on revolutionizing the keeping of records in health care facilities.

The importance of electronics health record and positive impacts

When the electronic health records are functional fully and are exchangeable, it offers many benefits more than manual records. The importance of electronic health records as highlighted by Walker (2005) include:

Increasing the participation of the patients in their care

Improving the convenience and quality of their care

Improving the coordination of care

Improving the health outcomes and diagnosis accuracy

Increasing cost savings and practice efficiencies.

Objectives of the software

To customize the software to the needs of the health care providers

To integrate all the healthcare systems using the software and improve coordination

To make it web-based to be accessible anywhere, on any operating system and any type of device

To be of meaningful use to the users, by engaging the families and the patients in the care, and not to create more problems

To improve care safety, quality, efficacy, and lastly to reduce health disparities

Improve the public and the population health

To ensure adequate security and privacy protections

Information system today Change in culture (computer culture)

The world has been transformed radically by digital technology, courtesy of the tablets, smartphones, and devices that are web-enabled which has transformed people’s daily lives and the way communication takes place. Lehmann (2006) observed that medicine is an enterprise that is rich in information. Electronic health records have created a more seamless and greater information flow within the infrastructure of digital health care. This leverages and encompasses digital progress and helps in transformation in the manner care is delivered and also delivered. With the presence of electronic health records software, information is made readily accessible and available to all parties wherever and whenever they require or it is needed.

The electronic health records software also enables physicians to automate the workflow. It also assists in customizable and flexible documentation of the patients. This is configured to complement the physician’s clinical approach and work style. The health care providers can use the visual notes designer in laying out their own notes and to their exact preference. Similarly, health care providers can utilize the third party tools such as speech and transcription to enter notes according to their desired workflow. Lastly, the flexible documentation helps in creating the auto-fill charge slip. The modifier codes, diagnosis, and procedure are sent directly to the tools for medical billing (Lehmann 2006).

Walker (2005) indicated that it also enables the physicians to view their patient’s information in their own way. They can scan allergy, problems lists, and medication in addition to reviewing the social, family, and medical histories within the same view. Furthermore, the physician can also configure the chart of the patient to their preference. Moreover, the electronic data software can be easily be organized to compliment the workflow of the heath care providers. For instance, the user-definable folders help in keeping the charts of the patients organized in folders that are similar to a paper chart. On the other hand, the role-based views and preferences enable each user and the provider to create custom preferences and views. Lastly, it enables the health care providers to view the charts in their own way. This is enabled by configuring the patient charts and organizing the information the way they desire it to look.

The electronic health records software also trend the health of patient across visits and over time. The custom and predefined flow sheers provide a table and graphical summary of the changing factors, from the vital signs of the patient or weight to the medications and treatments are given. Additionally, the results populate into flow sheets automatically (Walker 2005).

The electronic health records software also creates custom health plans. The maintenance plans and health protocols can be assigned to a group or individual patients. Similarly, the health watcher sends reminders automatically to the people and the physicians with the best practices of aware of the medical product and its side effects. According to NHS, before they are made available, vaccines have to be tested by MHRA (Medicines and healthcare and medical advice. For instance, the software will automatically alert nurses for prescription refills, appointments recall, and lab orders. It easily creates health plans that are customizable based on the parameter-based triggers, and clinical decision. The parameters may include lab results, diagnosis, age, and sex.

The electronic health records software also helps in analyzing, monitoring, and quantifying the population’s health. The use of customizable and built-in reports in analyzing and monitoring the populations of the patients. This improves the care quality and ensures there is consistency in care across the physicians’ practice. There is meaningful use of the reports which quickly track and review the achieved progress towards compliance meaningful use (Lehmann 2006). Moreover, there is an easily built list of patients with structured results and data. Lastly, the health analytics of the patient allows the health care provider to quantify their health care processes and outcomes.

The electronic health records software also receive and share the health information electronically. This enables the health care providers to coordinate care across the healthcare settings. Similarly, it also enables the management of their own health, and this is possible by empowering the patients. Therefore, the nurses and other health care providers to electronically exchange and receives orders, referrals, results, medical results, consults, and summaries among others. For instance, the software transmits electronically the health-related data to public health registries, immunization, and cancer registries. Moreover, managing the transition of care has been made easy because the patient clinical information can be shared with the outside hospital entries, next care provider, and also exchange of health information. Lastly, sharing of the information electronically enables the secure exchange of documents. The imaging and interfaced lab results flow to the chart of the patient automatically. This saves time for the patient and also to the physician (Walker 2005).

Competitive Advantages that the system will provide

Electronic health records have a competitive advantage over the manual keeping of records about more accuracy, faster, cheaper, productivity gain, and greater consistency. According to Lehmann (2006), paper-based records or the manual keeping of records requires a larger space for storage in comparison to digital records. Moreover, the costs of storing media such as film and paper per information unit differ significantly from the electronic media storage.

Walker (2005) indicated that when the paper storage is in different locations, bringing them to a single place for review by the provider of health care is complicated and time consuming. This process can be simplified with digital or electronic storage. Another example is suggested by Lehmann (2006), when paper-based records are needed in multiple locations, faxing, copying and the costs of transportation are significant in comparison to the duplication and transferring of the electronic records.

Walker (2005) also pointed out that the handwritten medical records can also be linked to poor legibility, and can also contribute to medical errors. However, the standardization of the abbreviations, the pre-printed forms, and the penmanship standards was encouraged in the medical field to improve the reliability of the medical paper records. Electronic records assist with the standardization of abbreviations, terminology, forms, and input of data. Furthermore, digitization of forms also facilitates data collection for clinical and epidemiological studies.

The electronic health records can also be updated continuously but within particular legal limitations. Lehmann (2006) argued that the ability to exchange records between different electronic medical records also referred to as “interoperability” would enhance the coordination of the delivery of health care in the health care facilities that are non-affiliated. Additionally, electronic system data can be used for statistical reporting anonymously in areas such as resource management, quality improvement, and the surveillance of the communicable diseases of the public health

Cost and benefit and their contrast

Walker (2005) pointed out that many studies estimate the purchasing and installation cost of electric health records to range between $15,000- $70,000 depending on the provider. The costs vary on the electronic health records depending on whether the organization selected web-based or on-site electronic health record deployment. The web-based deployment of HER also referred to as the software as a service, required the providers to pay the fixed monthly cost subscription. However, on-site deployment requires the providers to pay an ongoing cost to manage and support the data services of the onsite.

The average costs of the installation of the electronic health records software as estimated by the IT center of Michigan center are provided in the table below. The costs consist of the hardware, the HER software, implementation assistance, training, and the fee of the ongoing network maintenance (Lehmann 2006).

The help of Electronic health record software to Health First Medical health center

In health centers like Health First Medical, installation of the electronic health record software can assist very much. The following are various areas the software can benefit an organization as indicated by Walker (2005):

Potential savings

Installation of the software can help a health center in saving some of their costs. This is because of their improved efficiency which cut down costs that could have been incurred when the health center was using the paper-based record keeping

Quality improvement

Quality will improve with the installation of the electronic health record because of the integrated patients’ databases across a larger population. The integration will yield much information o the treatments which work best. Moreover, effectiveness will be realized by following patients over a span of many years. Lehmann (2006) asserted that the patients with complex health conditions will benefit from better coordination and communication. However, the quality will only be improved in a health center if they invest in training and also redesigning processes to make good use of the technology.

Increase care access

Lehmann (2006) indicated that the installation of the electronic health records software has the potential of increasing access to care to the health center. The advantage of storing the records of the patients electronically is when consulting with a physician, the distance becomes irrelevant. Through the installation of the software, the doctors can attend or communicates with the patients through email or telephone. This is beneficial to the patients in managing chronic diseases.

Software Activation or Utilization and Its Protection

After installation of the software, TSF consultant Management Company assists its clients to protect the software and the data in many ways. First of all, it helps in the creation of unlockable passwords that are secure. The company has password management software that helps its clients to void the risks of unauthorized people accessing the login information and accessing the health centers accounts.  Similarly, the TSF consultant Management Company provides private data activation for every individual working in the health care facilities. This will enable privacy and avoidance of tampering with the stored information by the individual health care provider.

Because electronic health records involve many parties, that is the families, paper will examine the systems of heath care in United States and Canada and try to make comparisons. In United States, the health care providers and the patients, protection of the clients’ data or information is very crucial to avoid legal problems. TSF consultant Management Company provides data protection services to their clients. To protect the data, TSF consultant management does the following as pointed out by Walker (2005):

Encourage the health care facilities to turn off their computers at night

Using of the password on the computers, when accessing the operating systems and the sensitive files and email attachments

Backing up the data of their clients

Running tests to test the backups at the interval

Securing the wireless networks of the healthcare facilities

Using a firewall or antivirus software on the computers

Removing metadata before sending files through emails

Moving of the “Reply to all” and the “Forward” buttons in the e-mail programs

Special security to the top officials is also provided to the health care centers. This is for the protection of the sensitive or for control of the general applications that are used by many people. Moreover, the electronic health resources software provided by TSF consultant Management Company has an application for picture identification of every client through file sharing. This is a smart software that does not just identify the basic information that is needed by the health care providers’ from a client, but it also verifies the information. Therefore, it prevents fraud as it confirms the client to the physician is who band whom they claim to be (Walker 2005).

For the protection of the installed electronic health records software, an antivirus is also installed for protection. The antivirus easily checks the computer systems for any virus or worms, it quickly finds out if the computers of the facility are at risk by detecting the threats that are in the running processes, and finally eradicates any malware in the computer systems (Walker 2005). Upon the request of the customers, TSF consultant Management Company also provides a virtual private network to enhance software and data protection. This will enable the organizations to benefit from their set policies, share information on the internet, and enhanced security. Lastly on the protection of data, the company in collaboration with the client organizations trains the employers how to use the software to avoid losses and to increase efficiency. This is done by educating the employees on the privacy policies and rules of using electronic health records. The training includes elaborating on who is allowed to access or use the equipment, the requirement of password protection, logging off procedures and securing the organization’s equipment, email usage, protection of the organization’s sensitive information, and requirements for data transfer (Lehmann 2006).

Steps in carrying out HER software installation by TSF consultant Management Company

In carrying out the installation of the software, TSF consultant Management Company uses the following six-step road map as suggested by Walker (2005).

Assessment: In this stage, a project team is formed comprising of members of the clines organization and the staff of TSF consultant Management Company. The team regularly meet and conduct an assessment of the office and the equipment

Planning: Reviewing of the data collected during the assessment stage. The electronic health records implementation objectives are defined, in addition to, identifying improvement opportunities

Selection: This covers the configuration of an EHR system, the process of selection, and the objectives achieved based on the selection. Moreover, selection of the HER system is done in this stage

Implementation: implementation plan is formulated, with the timelines agreed upon with TSF consultant Management Company. This includes installation, the configuration of the software, and the hardware. Furthermore, training of staff and testing is conducted.

Evaluation: conduction of post-implementation review and experiences are updated.

Improvement: modification of EHR is done to resolve encountered issues during the evaluation stage.

 Conclusion

In conclusion, EHR is the best way health care organizations should adopt to automate healthcare delivery. There are many benefits of the HER system compared to the manual keeping of records as outlined in the discussion. Furthermore, it is cheap and cost-effective in addition to a high level of security and protection of the data. To revolutionize the healthcare sector, the adoption of HER systems is the best way to go.

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Top Healthcare Technology Trends for 2023

Top Healthcare Technology Trends for 2023

Health information technology is constantly adapting to meet the needs of health care providers. Medical software tools and healthcare technology trends have evolved from a stronger focus on patient satisfaction to greater security of patient data.

Understanding which features and tools your organization will benefit from can take time and effort. Here, we’ll highlight critical current and future healthcare technology trends to help your facility stay ahead of the curve.

Key Takeaways

Organizations might need to increase their budget to purchase better security solutions.

The global cloud computing market stood at $368.37 billion in 2021 and is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 15.07% from 2022 to 2030.

A virtual health care approach is helping improve outcomes while reducing costs.

  Health care data breaches are costly, and each ransomware attack costs an average of $4.82 million per incident. The average data breach cost is increasing by 9.4%.

Significance

The health care industry is in a constant state of change. New technologies and innovations continue to optimize and automate tiring processes to streamline care delivery.

As the industry continues to grow, newer trends emerge that provide a future projection. Capitalizing on the trends before the competition can provide an advantage and a long-term success plan.

With technologies such as AI, IoT and nanomedicine evolving, health care organizations are actively procuring newer solutions to gain an advantage over their competitors. New software not only automates tasks but also plays a key role in customer satisfaction.

That said, let’s take a look at some of the upcoming technological trends in healthcare on the horizon that will create a buzz in the near future. Read on.

  Top Trends

Here are the top healthcare technology trends you should be aware of:

1. IoT and Medical Devices

Medical devices are pervasive, and when combined with the internet of things, one can measure their value in expedited workflows, improved inventory management and better employee tracking.

But as IoT and medical devices, like insulin pumps and pacemakers, become more interconnected with computers and networks, they represent significant security risks for patients and providers alike.

Multiple IoT and medical devices have become the standard for many health facilities throughout recent years, with the number of connected devices growing.

Also growing is the market for such devices; estimates vary, with one report saying that the global IoT health care market’s growth projection is an astonishing $2465 billion by 2029.

HCIC task force states that attacks on health information systems expand when interconnected devices, such as mobile devices, medical devices and applications, are permitted to connect to EHR software. This leaves your facility at greater risk the more devices that are connected.

  IoT botnets are groups of hacked computers, smart appliances and internet-connected devices co-opted for illegal purposes.

Connected smart devices can be infected with malware and controlled remotely. Any hospital security camera can be used as a botnet to initiate a denial of service attack.

2. Artificial Intelligence and Robotics

In the last decade, the proliferation of AI across industries took the world by storm, and the trend is likely to continue. AI’s application in medicine ranges from increasing the diagnosis accuracy to disease detection.

With the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting the health care industry, radiologists encountered heavy strain as computed diagnosis became the norm. In this situation, an AI-based system removed the radiologists’ burdens by optimizing the diagnosis process.

AI algorithms can perform scans, detect patterns and give diagnoses in seconds. Today, tech giants like Google and IBM have released their AI-infused technologies that help medical facilities unearth data.

The industry will actively use AI-based tools to quickly find new drugs and act on trends. Furthermore, AI chatbots are becoming popular in health care as a medium to provide help to customers through email and phone support 24/7.

  Companies are combining AI with robotics to make virtual assistants for doctors and nurses. It also helps physicians provide care without going near a patient.

3. Increased Use of the Cloud

According to a Research and Markets Survey, the global cloud computing market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18.79% through 2026, rising from $289.25 billion in 2021. This is due to growing calls for lower IT costs through cloud computing services.

The migration from on-premise-based storage to the cloud or hybrid model continues to gain market acceptance, and data needs demand the same.

Larger health facilities and hospital systems with multiple locations or departments prefer cloud-based solutions instead of on-premise based. Part of this is due to the ability of physicians to quickly and easily access up-to-date information and a lot of it.

While cloud-based solutions may be more popular in general, they do worry some companies concerned with security threats. On-premise systems may prevent online threats more thoroughly, but many cloud-based solutions have started to protect their data with more effective and secure encryptions.

  4. Digital Therapeutics

With the proliferation of digitization in health care, patients have become empowered. Digital health solutions help patients take an active part in their care plans. It is a subset of digital health that improves care delivery and provides evidence-based care through software.

According to Saurabh Gupta, Innovation Research and Strategy expert at Netscribes, the digital therapeutics trend saw an immense boost because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it continues to help medical professionals redefine their outlook on care delivery.

  It also helps in improving clinical pathways. For example, the FDA has approved a digital therapeutic game for children with ADHD.

5. Mental Health Technology

The COVID-19 pandemic played a significant role in boosting the digitization of the psychological industry. Today, we can find mental health services available online through solutions like HIPAA-compliant video conferencing tools.

At this critical juncture, technology came to the rescue.

Video Game Treatment: Since the pandemic, the U.S. government has focused extensively on mental health solutions. Their effort bore fruit when EndeavorRX was released for kids ages 8–12 years old with ADHD. The game helps them focus on multiple things at once to boost their mental abilities.

  Smartphone Therapy: Today, smartphones come with integrated AI assistants and features. The same algorithm creates chatbots that can record and analyze speeches to detect abnormalities or mental illness. Further, bots can provide 24/7 therapy to patients.

6. Virtual Reality

One of the technological trends in healthcare that has made considerable headway in the pharmaceutical industry is the application of VR (virtual reality), AR (augmented reality) and MR (mixed reality). They are improving patient recovery time and hospital management.

The computer-generated environment helps medical professionals simulate a situation or experience of interest using a VR headset.

According to a Fortune Business Insights report, the global health care VR market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 38.3%, rising from $1.2 billion in 2021 to $11.6 billion in 2028.

The technology automates a facility’s day-to-day activities, including staff recruitment and 3D simulation and increases productivity and efficiency.

  Further, it helps facilities provide medical training to new hires. VR allows them to simulate the human body’s interior and perform surgeries to train for real-life situations.

  7. Advances in Virtual Care

According to a Statista study, the $50 billion telemedicine global market will grow at a significant pace, reaching a projected value of $460 billion by 2030.

Virtual health care offerings, telemedicine capabilities and remote patient monitoring offer a number of benefits to both patients and physicians.

Virtual care has become increasingly popular due to efforts to provide the least expensive care in the most effective possible setting. Another reason is reimbursement initiatives and the regulation of such tools.

As with everything else in our lives, the demand for health care is becoming increasingly shaped by mobility. Patients want the same access to health care that they have for everything else in their daily lives.

While some providers may not have embraced this more recent trend, that won’t stop connected devices and on-demand care from becoming increasingly mainstream.

Patient Engagement

More recently, patients have started to view themselves as health care consumers. They want technology like patient-care portals that provide immediate results, direct access to their providers, and the ability to handle payments and manage appointments online.

Smartphones are starting to be used not only in health facilities but in classrooms as well. While technology is changing how patients interact with their providers and make decisions, it also affects health professionals’ training and education.

This allows students to share information with one another in real-time, preparing them for the technology they’ll be using once they’re on the job.

Wearables

The line is blurring between consumer health wearables and medical devices. Related to mobile devices is the exploding demand for wearable devices like Fitbits. According to GlobalData, the wearable industry is set to reach $54 billion in 2023.

One problem with wearables is that security risks and privacy concerns arise in cases of insecure data transfer over networks and when third parties store the information on their databases.

According to an article from Nature, point-of-care wearable devices streamline data gathering for clinics and hospitals.

Today, epidermal-based wearables, flexible wearables and textile-based wearables monitor patients’ clinical conditions, including cancer, mental illness and blood sugar levels. These devices have become one of the most popular healthcare technology trends.

  8. Data Explosion

Let’s start at the source: data. Its value has never been higher, even as it continues to grow exponentially. Ironically, the health care profession was slow to embrace data digitization.

Now, its data volume is growing faster than the manufacturing, financial services and media industries. According to an RBC Capital Markets report, health care data will experience a CAGR of over 36% through 2025.

With this rapid growth in data, systems have to be able to store it all securely. Blockchain technology is one of the biggest health IT trends. It allows for more digital information to be stored while taking up far less space in the process.

The demand for health care data will only increase with the advent of value-based care, predictive analytics and AI. Providers are starting to recognize the potential of applying artificial intelligence to the patient information collected through various electronic records systems.

The end goal is to help physicians make decisions, reduce financial risk, manage chronic diseases and more.

Dangers to Data

Data breaches will continue to challenge the health care field for years to come.

The size of breaches has declined, but their number has increased over all industries. Bad actors have gained access to network data, compromised security and held health care providers hostage through targeted phishing attacks and social engineering.

Unlike in the past, however, the value of the data (patients’ addresses, social security numbers, credit cards, health insurance information and health records) has declined because so much is already on the dark web.

A popular tactic now is to hijack your data and get you to pay ransom for its return rather than selling it to a third party.

Reducing Risk

With the fight against ransomware becoming a top priority, health care professionals require a more in-depth view of their current infrastructure to better mitigate risks.

Providers need to make data governance a core component of their IT security strategy. You also need to appreciate that health IT security is getting more specialized. Even though cardiologists and dermatologists both have MDs after their names, you wouldn’t turn to the dermatologist for chest pain. Similarly, your IT team must possess the right skills for different security requirements.

Whether you’re a small, two-person practice or a large multi-hospital system, staying on top of health IT security and privacy will only grow more challenging given the nature of the threat and size of the problem. It’s unfamiliar territory for a profession where treating patients and not protecting data has been the top priority.

  9. Nanomedicine

Remember Iron Man’s nanosuit technology? Well, it’s no longer a myth. Nanotech application in medicine is happening as we speak. Scientists are creating nanorobots called Xenobots that can self-replicate. This can revolutionize nanomedicine.

According to an article, the application of nanomedicine ranges from the medical applications of nanomaterials and biological devices to nanoelectronic biosensors. Another possible future application can be in the field of molecular nanotechnologies, such as biological machines.

10. 3D Bioprinting

In health care, 3D bioprinting is not a new technology. However, its capability to create natural tissue-like, three-dimensional structures is certainly attracting attention from scientists and researchers.

With the new and sophisticated version of prosthetics treatment and many improved technologies, it is only a matter of time before the discipline gains traction. It reduces the hefty costs of implants and prosthetic treatment.

Further, patients are getting more and more options for cardiovascular and neurological implants. 3D bioprinting can also enhance bionic prosthesis for knees and hips.

Conclusion

Health IT trends are constantly changing to meet the needs of health care organizations and providers.

While these trends may pose certain concerns to security and patient privacy, they have also helped lead to greater opportunities to treat health care security more holistically while increasing the level of security at the same time.

The end result will be better ways to manage data in our efforts to improve patient outcomes and lower health care costs.

Healthcare technology trends are helping organizations become more agile with their operations and increase their revenue and quality of care.

While you shouldn’t be afraid of these growing technologies, it’s important not to ignore the trends and be prepared to take advantage of them as best you can. Facilities that ignore these technology trends in health care will fall behind in the long run.

Technical Doctor's insight:

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HIPAA Compliance Checklist: A Comprehensive Guide 

When it comes to handling medical information, confidentiality is a priority. This is where the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) comes in.

HIPAA compliance requirements set up standards to help healthcare companies and providers safeguard medical information. They help you ensure sensitive patient information remains confidential. Compliance with HIPAA rules is crucial, not only to protect patients’ privacy but also to avoid legal consequences.

In this article, we’ll talk about what HIPAA compliance looks like in the workplace (and why it matters). We’ll also cover the key components of a HIPAA compliance checklist and how to create one for your organization.

What is HIPAA?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act is a US federal law enacted in 1996 whose primary goal is to protect patients’ medical information privacy. It outlines best practices for keeping sensitive health information (like medical records) confidential.

HIPAA also establishes national standards for electronic healthcare transactions so that all medical information is handled securely and consistently across the country.

The benefits of HIPAA compliance at work

So who needs to be HIPAA compliant?

The law applies to healthcare providers, health plans, and any healthcare-related organization, including medical billing companies, telehealth services, and dental practices.

It also applies to subcontractors, business associates, and any other entity working in the healthcare field that handles or stores protected health information (or PHI).

Aside from the obvious legal implications, there are some compelling reasons to comply with HIPAA if you fall into one of these categories.

Building patient trust: HIPAA-compliant companies are better positioned to safeguard patient information, so patients will feel more confident sharing their personal and medical information with a company that guarantees security.

Avoiding fines: HIPAA violations can result in hefty financial penalties. For example, a company can face fines of up to $1.9 million per year for willfully neglecting HIPAA best practices. (More on potential violations below)

Improving efficiency: HIPAA compliance safeguards can help companies identify administrative and technical areas where they can improve their operations and increase efficiency. For example, implementing electronic health records (EHRs) and secure messaging can streamline communication and reduce errors.

Building better security overall: Building robust security systems to protect sensitive health data from cybercrime helps companies boost their data security across the board. Complying with HIPAA regulations also means companies meet the highest general data protection and privacy standards.

Now that you know the value of compliance, let’s take a look at what HIPAA violations commonly look like in the industry.

Examples of HIPAA violations (and how to avoid them)

There are lots of reasons HIPAA violations can occur. Here are some examples of why they happen and how you can prevent them.

Employee negligence

Employees who handle PHI may unintentionally violate HIPAA regulations by failing to safeguard the information properly. For instance, an employee may leave a patient’s medical record open on their desk or fail to password-protect an electronic file containing PHI.

To avoid these violations, offer regular HIPAA compliance training. It will help employees understand the importance of keeping patient information confidential. Compliance training courses will also ensure employees know how to safely handle and transfer medical information.

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Can home-grown medical devices reduce the cost of healthcare services? 

Can home-grown medical devices reduce the cost of healthcare services?

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the inadequate availability of essential medical devices in India during a time of intense demand. Medical devices, ranging from ventilators and oxygen purifiers to personal protective equipment (PPE) and N95 masks, were in short supply when the health system in the country and the population it serviced needed them the most. However, medical devices largely remain inaccessible even otherwise, both in terms of availability and affordability. This lack of access stems from issues such as hurdles in their procurement in public and private hospitals, supply issues due to inadequate manufacturing capacity in the country for high-end medical devices and the high cost of importing such medical devices in the country.

While India has a robust pharmaceutical industry which contributes to 20 per cent of the global demand for generic drugs and low-cost vaccines, the medical device market and industry in the country is quite nascent. India is the 20th largest medical device market in the world, but its contribution to the global market is less than 1.6 per cent. This contribution is also largely in the form of low-cost devices such as surgical gloves, urinary catheters and other disposable equipment that are manufactured and exported in large numbers. Yet expensive medical devices such as cardiac stents, dialysis machines and ventilators are imported at a significant cost making them expensive for the public to use.

The increasing burden of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke and ischemic heart disease, accounting for a third of all deaths, puts an enormous burden on families for diagnosis, emergency care and hospitalisation. While the out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) on healthcare has been shown to have come down from over 60 per cent in 2014-15 to nearly 50 per cent in 2019-20, this is still significant enough to push families into poverty, if they face any sudden life-threatening medical emergencies that might require access to even a single high-end medical device. Developing and manufacturing such devices within the country would reduce their cost to the patient and avoid such catastrophic expenses. It will also improve their availability in smaller hospitals in sub-urban and rural areas, reducing the need for patients to travel to tertiary hospitals in Tier I cities.

Efforts have been made by the government since 2014-15 to promote local manufacture and attain self-sufficiency in key medical devices that are widely used for more common conditions such as cardiac stents, dialysis machines and imaging equipment. Incentives such as the ‘Make-in-India’ program, and Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme with a budget of Rs 18,420 crore have been envisaged to promote domestic manufacturing of medical devices.

These programmes promote local production by setting up manufacturing hubs with supply-chain infrastructure and provide financial incentives for the investment of capital into design and manufacture of high-end medical devices. Both private and public hospitals in the country face challenges due to lack of local manufacturing of high-end devices. While private players move through various buying channels trying to get the best prices for importing expensive equipment, the public hospitals need to go through an extensive procurement process to establish a lack of local manufacturers of the requisite medical devices and further import them through the public channels through tenders. Private hospitals then offset the high cost of importation of medical devices and health care services, by passing on the costs to the patients.

A streamlined process for local design, development and manufacturing could enable both local and foreign players to set up medical device manufacturing in the country and improve the supply to both private and public hospitals, which would further reduce the cost of the healthcare service to the patient. However, there is also the need for a regulatory framework in the approval, licensing, and the quality control of these medical devices in order to protect the end consumer, the patient. These measures, while stringent, should not pose as a roadblock to innovation within the country. This can be achieved by making these regulations and their implementation both transparent and streamlined.

The recently passed National Medical Devices Policy, 2023, which has been in the making over the past two years, aims to promote local manufacture of expensive medical devices such as surgical implants and monitoring and imaging equipment in order to reduce the import reliance of the country. This is in addition to the Production Linked Initiative (PLI) schemes which have been started to promote the local set-up of manufacturing units within the country by both MNCs and local manufacturers. This policy aims to grow the industry from the present $11 billion to $50 billion by 2030 and achieve 10-12% of global market share.

The new policy enables innovation through regulatory streamlining and licensing of newer devices, manufacture through the development of large medical device parks while attracting both human resource and financial investment through programmes such as Make in India, Heal in India and other Public Private Partnership programmes.

While the new National Medical Device Policy, 2023 paves a way forward for the country to boost its innovation and manufacturing capacity, further developments, such as examining the newer procurement processes that incorporate evidence-based decisions and value-based procurement by both the public and private healthcare system, are needed in order to fully realise its potential. Moreover, the academia in the healthcare industry, both public and private, need to conduct more largescale health technology assessment and research on the cost-effectiveness of the medical devices in order to further innovation and design.

With such a roadmap set by the new National Medical Device Policy and a robust participation by the public and private healthcare institutions of the country, which boast some of the global leaders in the field of medicine and surgery, India may be well poised to become a leader in the global market for medical devices by providing high-end tools at a lower cost to the global south much as it does with its generic pharmaceuticals and vaccines currently.

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5 Key Steps To Consolidate Technology In Healthcare

Healthcare centers are still struggling to hire and retain staff. An estimated 1.5 million healthcare jobs were lost at the onset of the pandemic, and managers are trying to get staffing numbers back to levels seen in 2019.

  Numerous recruiting challenges compound the issue, but the problem doesn’t end by simply hiring more nurses and physicians. Reportedly 85% of healthcare facilities are also dealing with allied healthcare shortages, which include therapists, laboratory and imaging technologists, and others. Meanwhile, levels of burnout have only gone up. More than three in five physicians (63%) reported feeling burned out in the winter of 2021, an all-time high. The lack of staffing and subsequent burnout is causing several pain points at the front desk. Long wait times, problems at check-in and confusion with payments can all have a negative impact on the healthcare experience for patients and staff.

  The front desk is the first glimpse patients have into your practice, so making the process as easy and painless as possible is crucial. The most effective way to do that is by taking the steps to consolidate business and administrative tasks under one platform for a smooth user experience. The goal should be to make the patient’s life simple and your staff more effective.

  The Importance Of Consolidating Technology In Healthcare

Amazon became one of the most successful companies in the world by offering nearly everything in one platform. Users can watch a movie, order groceries and pick out a new pair of shoes without ever leaving the website. At the end of the day, consumers receive one bill for a range of services.

  Amazon’s approach has revolutionized e-commerce and can serve as a model for streamlining healthcare operations. A similar solution in the healthcare world consolidates front desk and billing operations, interfacing seamlessly with an existing practice management system.

  But is consolidation right for your practice? Healthcare leaders know change isn’t easy and, after years of upheaval, may be wary of disruptions to the status quo. When facing an important business decision, it is important to understand the potential value being offered.

  Does consolidation add value?

The key advantage of consolidation over siloed systems is efficiency. Doing more with less is essential to an industry where nearly half of all workers are planning to leave in the next two years.

Technology that integrates into your patient system and can consolidate front office and billing duties enhances staff productivity by eliminating the need to learn and use multiple systems. With one login, staff can access patient payments, registration forms, appointment calendars and text follow-ups. These efficiencies translate to more time each day for staff to focus on patient care and other value-added activities.

The efficiencies of a consolidated system also extend to security and compliance. Data breaches are rampant in the healthcare industry. More than 590 organizations reported healthcare data breaches to the HHS Office for Civil Rights in 2022, impacting more than 48.6 million individuals. By consolidating front office duties onto one platform, practices can keep confidential patient information better secured.

As you think about whether technology consolidation is right for your practice, it’s important to reflect on the best ways to ensure a successful transition. Getting things wrong could make things worse by causing:

• Confusion

• Distraction

• New inefficiencies

• Poor staff morale and motivation

• Reduced patient satisfaction

• Wasted investment

For companies looking to consolidate their technology, understanding the first steps can help manage risks and ensure a more successful outcome.

Five Steps Toward Consolidation

Adopting new technology is a major change for your practice and should spur meaningful conversations among leaders, staff and your technology vendor. These conversations are essential and will help you identify your needs and determine the best way to move forward.

The steps to take as you work through this process include:

Step 1: Listen to your staff.

Your staff knows their workflows and pain points well. They are a vital source of ideas for making their job more efficient.

A proactive manager gathers input from staff early and often. When it comes to consolidation, find out how much time staff spends toggling between systems to get the information they need. Could they be doing something more valuable if they had more time? If the answer is yes, it may be time for a change.

Step 2: Understand what patients want.

The best ways to approach understanding your patients’ experience expectations include actively sending feedback surveys post-care, monitoring your reviews on-site and on third-party pages like Google and Yelp, and having a conversation. Be transparent and open to hearing feedback from patients while they are at the office.

Step 3: Choose the technology that works best for your business.

Choosing the right technology starts with a reliable vendor. It’s the vendor’s job to help select solutions that meet the needs of your patients and practice, support you throughout the transition and stand by for any questions and problems after implementation. By working with your team to create a list of necessary questions and identifying non-negotiable aspects, you can aim to expedite the search process.

Step 4: Address resistance in your organization.

Many healthcare practices resist change, missing opportunities to grow and improve. Resistance to change is a psychological state that can be worked through. Change management strategies that can ease the process include:

• Educating staff about the benefits of the change to overcome negative emotions and fear

• Engaging influencers in your staff to help convince others

• Involving employees in the decision-making process

Step 5: Create a transition plan.

Planning helps avoid pitfalls you might encounter as you adopt new technology. Work to make a detailed transition plan to minimize stress and downtime. Your plan should include:

• Transition team members and each person’s role

• Implementation approach—all at once or incremental

• Hardware and software needs

• Education and training

• New workflows

• Transfer of data

• How to manage downtime or reduced productivity

• Who to contact for support

With proper planning, your practice can successfully begin the process of consolidating technology and reap the benefits of greater efficiency.

Technical Doctor's insight:

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The Liability of an Electronic Health Record System

Three years ago, “Dr Derm” decided to purchase an electronic health record (EHR) system for his dermatology office. He is not convinced that there is an economic benefit in doing so, but he has been told that such a system will significantly lessen his medical legal liability because he will be able to better document his patient care. Recently, he was sued in medical malpractice and is having trouble defending himself because of entries into the EHR that he contends he never made and resulted from a software glitch. What is his liability?

Although the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009 has led to an attempt to have meaningful use of EHRs by providers, one of the potential risks that has not been given much discussion is the risk of medical malpractice liability.

The number of installed systems has increased every year since 2009. Today, it is rare that a dermatology office that doesn’t use an EHR system.

Disconcerting to many physicians is the fact that implementing new information systems may initially elevate, rather than decrease, providers’ malpractice risk. This issue was analyzed extensively in numerous articles beginning more than a decade ago.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) specifically states that the health care provider is the covered entity responsible for maintaining the integrity of the patient’s medical record—not the EHR vendor, the consultant, or the systems integrator.

A dermatologist can be held liable because most vendors’ contracts essentially say, “We do not practice medicine; it is up to the physician to make sure this EHR is being used correctly. Practices must understand what they’re using and verify that the system is appropriately set up to document the care they provide.”

If a dermatologist finds issues with their EHR, it is the dermatologist’s responsibility to contact the vendor and insist that the glitches be fixed. It is also important to document each attempt to get the vendor to fix the problem.

As with all technologies, the risk of error increases during the initial implementation phase, as providers move from their older familiar system of charting to a new, much more comprehensive system. Several studies have already documented increases in computer-related errors and, in 1 case, an increase in mortality shortly after implementation of computerized provider-order entry systems.1 Medical errors and adverse events may result from individual mistakes in using EHRs (eg, incorrectly entering information into the electronic record) or system-wide EHR failures or bugs that create their own problems, such as crashes that prevent access to crucial information.

Effective training and tailoring of new systems to existing technology can minimize the incidence of such errors, and organizations that have sufficient resources can monitor problems after implementation and adjust systems to minimize the persistence of errors. However, these measures may not prevent errors entirely, and system failures may recur long after implementation. Such a scenario would leave clinicians to practice blindly until functionality is restored.

At least 1 legal case suggests that providers have a duty to minimize such risks during the transition period. A federal court held that a hospital that switched from a paper to an electronic system for delivering test results had a duty to “implement a reasonable procedure during the transition phase” to ensure the timely delivery of test results to doctors. The court did not elaborate on what the requirements were to constitute a reasonable procedure, but it found that the hospital had met its duty by establishing a training protocol for the period before all physicians had completed training on the new system. Dr Derm may not be able to avoid liability for the software glitch. He alone may be responsible for problems associated with his EHR.

David J. Goldberg, MD, JD, is medical director of Skin Laser and Surgery Specialists of New York and New Jersey; director of cosmetic dermatology and clinical research at Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York, New York; and clinical professor of dermatology and past director of Mohs Surgery and Laser Research at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, New York.

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The Main Difference Between Software Engineers and IT Support

Many people think or assume that software engineers should be doing all the work related to computers or tech devices. Yet, they do not understand the nuances between software applications and hardware devices. 

Although software engineers probably wouldn't mind fixing a mouse or assisting in some IT support work, why waste their hard earned Computer Engineering Degree?

Read on below to learn the difference between a software engineer and IT support. 

What Are Some Key Responsibilities of IT Support Engineers?

Dealing with hardware is a job that comes in the domain of technical support engineers, better known as the IT support engineer. 

This is the go-to person when it comes to solving your technical issues of computing devices and systems, including software troubleshooting, hardware, and other IT related issues.

They also monitor and maintain the systems and networks for the company or technical organization. Their responsibilities include installing and configuring computer systems, diagnosing and troubleshooting hardware and software issues, providing technical solutions and solving application issues over the phone or in person. 

Examples of this include helping customers address their issue regarding hardware or software systems, walking customers through installing applications and computer peripherals, or asking targeted questions to diagnose problems.

Almost every tech company has a separate department offering 24hr support for customers dealing with technical issues that occur in your developed software or product. This department will have support engineers working shifts around the clock, essentially becoming the backbone of the company when offering software solutions.

Characteristics of IT Support Engineers:

They work in firms that focus on providing technical support services to a significant number of clients.

They can provide support remotely using an online platform to help clients with their technical issues.

What Are Some Key Responsibilities of Software Engineers?

What is Software Engineering?

Software engineering is a broad field covering many computer science fields including applications, software systems, network architecture, web development, and more.

Software engineers design, programme, and implement the product or applications. They have strong programming skills, but focus mainly on analyzing and solving problems. 

Their roles depend on the organization they work for. Some may call them system analysts or even system designers. Software engineers manage software systems required to run a particular software developed to solve problems. They also need to communicate and translate the requirements among different software development teams. 

Besides analyzing user requirements, their main responsibilities include writing, rewriting, and testing code. They integrate existing software and work on getting the platforms compatible with these systems. Additionally, they also develop technical specifications while controlling user access.

There are many types of software that a software engineer can develop. Examples include operating systems, computer games, middleware, business applications, and network control systems.

Software engineers do complex work and design solutions that IT support engineers are unable to. In a nutshell, they are responsible for designing and implementing software. Being aware of the differences helps ensure that we get the best person to solve our tech related issues.

‍

Characteristics of Software Engineers:

Software engineers work closely with other teams, including managers, UX designers, developers, analysts, sales professionals, and the marketing department.

Software engineers are required to update their knowledge about the latest trends and new technologies to provide better and more efficient solutions. 

Software engineers are usually graduates in Computer Science.

The key difference between Software Engineers and IT Support Engineers

The main difference between a software engineer and a technical support engineer is that software engineers develop software, while IT Support Engineers help clients deal with user related issues pertaining to that software. 

Now that you know the key differences between Software Engineers and Tech Support, it’s up to you to educate others and let them know of the difference! Share this article with them to make your life easier.

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Employing the force of technology in healthcare and life sciences industries

In recent years, healthcare and life science industries have been making significant advancements, driven by innovations in technology and a growing awareness of global health concerns. These have led to new treatments, therapies, and technologies that are improving patient outcomes, enhancing the quality of life, and transforming the way healthcare is delivered. But as they navigate through the ever-evolving landscape, numerous challenges continue to persist. Rising healthcare costs, higher consumer expectations, and technological advancements are driving companies to re-evaluate their strategies and adopt novel approaches. 

Today, achieving meaningful health improvements at scale has become imperative. Therefore now, to thrive in this competitive environment, companies must adopt a customer-centric approach that prioritizes delivering exceptional experiences across various channels. Moreover, connecting consumers with a variety of products and services, including those from partners can play a critical role as well. On top of that, the focus should increase on how they can improve consumer health and engage entire populations rather than just producing, prescribing, or reimbursing drugs.

This is where technology-driven MultieXperience Consumer Engagement (MXE) becomes indispensable, becoming a critical factor for success in this sector. By leveraging advanced technologies, companies can engage with customers in a personalized, seamless, and hassle-free manner, resulting in increased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and business success. Now, more than ever, engineering/IT services companies should increase their focus on maintaining a competitive edge, along with the importance of technology-driven MXE in the healthcare and life sciences industries in helping companies achieve success.

Implementation of Emotional AI technology to create Personal Assistant Robots (PARs) for healthcare purposes

To succeed in healthcare and life sciences, organizations must establish trust and develop personalized connections with consumers. By utilizing Emotional AI technology, human-machine interfaces can recognize and respond to emotions in various situations, leading to more meaningful interactions for both consumers and employees. Emotion detection can also enhance contact center engagement by analyzing voice and chat to detect emotions. With AI models, practitioners can even diagnose diseases with greater empathy and create more human-like “Personal Assistant Robots” (PARs). The fastest adoption of Emotional AI is in contact centers, where real-time analysis, emotional chatbots, and chat conversation emotion detection are being developed.

Total consumer experience with Multiexperience analytics 

In today’s scenario, every experience should be personalized and differentiated to win hearts, minds, and trust. The starting point must be peoples’ needs with organizations working from there, not the other way around. Organizations must be able to deliver outputs that are as relevant, contextualized, and consumable as possible. This requires tapping into the unique intersection of various devices, interaction modalities, and analytics capabilities that can augment users’ ability to consume insights. One must use the embedded form of analytics for multi-experience. 

Immersive technology for care delivery 

Immersive technology for care delivery is the application of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) technologies to create immersive clinical environments that convey a sense of real-world presence using visual, auditory, and haptic elements.

Precision Health

this will revolutionize the healthcare industry by identifying patient-specific health risks early on, leading to disease prevention. It will prevent illnesses before they happen through wellness and prevention efforts ultimately increasing lifespans. With the advancements in machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, precision health can assemble and provide an aggregated view of patients’ health, inclusive of all relevant clinical and demographic data points.

Blockchain in Healthcare

Blockchain technology is being used in healthcare to store electronic health records securely, track and manage clinical trials, and monitor the supply chain management of drugs and medical supplies to prevent tampering or counterfeiting. These applications improve data security, transparency, and interoperability in healthcare, and ongoing initiatives are exploring the use of blockchain in various healthcare settings. Furthermore, during the pandemic, a blockchain-based consumer-mediated vaccination verification solution demonstrated effective performance at scale which helps in reducing the risk of errors, fraud, or duplication of information. In fact, the utilization of blockchain technology to track medical devices throughout their lifecycle, from manufacturing to end-of-life disposal is helping to ensure the safety and effectiveness of medical devices.

The healthcare and life sciences industry has the potential to be transformed by technology-driven multi-experience consumer engagement, including AI, IoT, and Blockchain. These technologies can enhance patient engagement, provide personalized care, and improve operational efficiency. However, successful implementation requires a thorough understanding of patient needs and data-driven approaches. As the industry evolves, virtual care access has become critical, and organizations must invest in digital capabilities to support the shift from hospital-based to home-based acute care services.

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EHR implementations: Change management 

Read this if you are considering implementing an EHR system.

As the era of multiple Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems wanes, the focus is on a single integrated EHR across the health system. This shift is both an opportunity and a challenge for most hospitals and health systems. On one hand, it brings the opportunity of a single view of the patient for a provider, population health at a system level, and greater efficiencies across departments. On the other hand, it requires implementing an enterprise system, changing processes across every department and location, and going live in a “big bang” manner. Historically, hospitals implemented solutions piece by piece over years of time and didn't implement everything within a year. Moving to a single enterprise-wide system represents a tremendous amount of change in a very short time frame. The risk of resistance to change by your people is significant. 

How you address that risk may make the difference in your project’s success. 

The scope of the change. Is the change small, incremental, or large and disruptive? 

The culture of the organization (organizational attributes). Is your organization ready for change or is it change resistant?

Based on the assessment of these two factors you can plot from a change management perspective whether the change is high, medium, or low risk. 

  Three components of a high-risk EHR implementation environment

Large disruptive change It is a fair assumption that if you implement a new EHR system across your entire health system (that impacts every clinical, financial, and operational workflow), it would be a large, disruptive change. And certainly a high risk from a scope of change perspective.

Change resistant culture The next question is what is the culture of your organization? Are your people generally accepting of or resistant to change? How do employees remember past changes? How adept is your management team at leading through change? While the scope of the project is often front of mind, leaders may overlook these very important aspects of your culture. In our experience, many organizations have a culture that is at least slightly change resistant, if not more so, particularly if your workforce has been in place for a long time and has not replaced any systems recently. Many people in your organization may only know the way they have always done things and may not have even had exposure to another EHR system. This sets people up to be inherently nervous and even fearful of what a new system may mean for their day-to-day work and even job security.

Change saturation Lastly, you add the change saturation to the mix. For healthcare, the last three years have been a lesson in extreme change saturation. People are tired, burned out, and ready for more stability and less change.

  When you combine a significant scope, a change resistant culture, and a high level of change saturation, you have created a high-risk environment for implementing a new EHR. So, if you are a senior leader about to embark on an EHR project, what should you do?

Start change management as soon as possible—early recognition that an upcoming change will be challenging gives leaders an opportunity to learn early, engage early, and adopt early. Organizations who engage a wide audience early in a complex change have greater opportunity to communicate answers to “why,” “what does this mean to me,” and “how do I have to prepare “questions.

Select the right project sponsor—the single most determinate factor in project success is having an engaged and effective sponsor. The sponsor needs to bring credibility to the change, provide energy to the organization for change, and be visible and transparent as to why this change is needed now.

Establish an effective leadership team—for an EHR implementation, the sponsor cannot “go it alone.” An effective change leadership team provides consistent messaging and in-depth knowledge of the change and engages in conversations throughout the organization explaining the need for change.

Be active and visible leaders—once the leadership team is established, getting out the word is crucial. Leaders should engage in division and departmental meetings, educating teams on the change and the need for change. Repeat appearances and follow-up communications begin to establish a collective understanding across an organization. Rotating leaders through these communication opportunities also brings different organizational perspectives as to why the change is important. Hearing from different clinical, financial, and operational leaders helps people understand the common themes and current ideas on the necessity of the change. Leaders must engage and empower management to understand and support the change. 

Identify and engage supervisors and influencers—most organizations have team members who are very influential within teams and may not hold management positions. In addition, influencers may not have the title but the whole team will look to them for indications that the change is good or not. Training these team members on the importance of the change helps them educate their team members and improves their team’s opinions and support for the change.

Use vendor backlog to your advantage—vendors are having a challenging time staffing projects that can lead to delays. Use the months you have leading up to project start to focus on change management. Build excitement with your people. Train your leaders to be effective change managers.

Rinse and repeat—monitor your change management activities carefully and repeat the processes that prove most effective. Change the content of the messages being delivered, but not the approach on how they are delivered. 

Celebrate early and often—take the time to thank your teams. Change can be difficult. Rewarding and recognizing accomplishments, big and small, during the project life cycle builds momentum and desire for the upcoming change. Thanking your people with food is always a crowd pleaser. Be sure to make these celebrations public to share the good news.

Most organizations experience challenges when implementing change and an enterprise-wide EHR implementation is the definition of a high-risk change. Starting change management activities early in a project provides the highest likelihood of reducing change resistance and improving adoption. The goal is to have most team members understand the change, the need for change, the impact of the change, and how the organization is going to support the change. An early start provides the smoothest entry ramp into a new world. 

Technical Doctor's insight:

Contact Details : inquiry@technicaldr.com or 877-910-0004 www.technicaldr.com

[technicaldr]

Why is using HIPAA-Compliant Practice Management Software Important?

In the healthcare industry, data protection is of the utmost priority. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was passed in 1996 to protect the privacy and security of Patient Health Information (PHI). Since then, HIPAA regulations have been enforced to ensure healthcare providers and organizations comply with these standards. With the increase in the popularity of digital health solutions, it has become essential for organizations to use HIPAA-compliant practice management software. 

This software allows providers to organize and securely store all patient information, ensuring it remains private and protected. It also improves the patient experience, reduces operational costs, and streamlines processes. Patients’ data will always be secure with HIPAA-compliant practice management software.

What is HIPAA Compliance?  

HIPAA governs the privacy and portability of individuals’ medical records. It is intended to keep patients’ health-related information private electronically and on paper. As per HIPAA, companies that handle Protected Health Information (PHI) must follow physical, network, and process security measures.

HIPAA compliance rules apply to anyone involved in the delivery of healthcare. Any business associated with access to patient information or that provides support for treatment, payment, or operations must also comply with HIPAA. That’s why HIPAA must bind all subcontractors and business associations.

  In the US, the Office of civil rights governs and enforces HIPAA. So, HIPAA law regulates the use of and disclosure of protected health information. To manage the privacy, security, and integrity of protected health information, every healthcare association should comply with HIPAA continuously.  

The Purpose of HIPAA Compliance Software 

  The purpose of HIPAA compliance software is simple: to safeguard patients’ sensitive information from fraud and specify what individuals can access that information. As a result, HIPAA compliance is critical to ensure that patients have control over their personal health information. Simultaneously, HIPAA governs data disclosure for treatment and public interest.

For these reasons, you must become HIPAA-compliant if you transfer confidential information in any form (verbally, electronically, or with documentation) inside and outside your medical practice. Most of the time, physicians conduct video conferences for patient care. However, standard video conferencing software may not comply with HIPAA regulations if practices use it only for video conferencing. 

  Protecting and securing patient PHI is the primary goal of HIPAA compliance software. The Coronavirus pandemic has given rise to telemedicine, making it more challenging to secure private patient information. Email and text messages can potentially leak sensitive information, so exchanging personal information in person is more secure.

When your practice complies with HIPAA regulations, you can not only protect the security of your patient’s health info, but your practice also receives protection from lawsuits. Furthermore, because HIPAA compliance is required, you will no longer be subject to violation penalties for noncompliance.

Healthcare organizations can conduct telemedicine remotely without worrying about security concerns using HIPAA compliance software. Patients can communicate with their healthcare providers and send their private information using HIPAA software. Thus, patients and institutions receiving treatment can conduct business safely without violating HIPAA. 

Practice Management Software that is HIPAA-Compliant  

  Practice management software is a type of software that helps healthcare providers manage their daily operations, including patient scheduling, medical records management, and billing. It streamlines the workflow, allowing practitioners to dedicate more time to providing value-based care. 

A HIPAA- compliant practice management software is designed to comply with HIPAA policies. It includes features such as secure patient portals, encryption of data in transit and at rest, access control, audit trails, regular security risk assessment, and more. Some of the features of HIPAA-compliant project management software include:

Keeping track of which users accessed information at what time and what they did.

Set user roles so they can only view each patient’s minimum amount of data. 

Physical and encryption security measures are extensive. 

Accounting features that are HIPAA-compliant, if needed. 

Backups should be performed regularly and reliably. 

What Happens If a Medical Practice Isn’t HIPAA-Compliant?

Medical practices often consider it a burden to comply with HIPAA’s Administrative Simplification provisions and the HITECH Provisions Act of 2009. However, many healthcare providers find that using practice management software with an electronic health records (EHR) solution can alleviate this administrative burden.

These solutions save you time and money while reducing medical errors and allowing you to provide care more efficiently. Furthermore, once your practice obtains HIPAA certification and becomes HIPAA-compliant, you will most likely recognize the benefits of adhering to these regulations.

Benefits of HIPAA-Compliant Practice Management Software

When HIPAA is in place, patients know that their information will be kept private, so they are more likely to be honest and open with their providers. This helps improve patient engagement and increases patient outcomes. The great advantage of a HIPAA- compliant practice management software is that it helps upscale the practice. Moreover, the following are a few more benefits of it:

Easy Compliance

  A HIPAA- compliant practice management software provides secure storage and transmission of sensitive patient information, reducing the risk of data breaches and protecting patients’ privacy.

Technical Doctor's insight:

Contact Details : inquiry@technicaldr.com or 877-910-0004 www.technicaldr.com

[technicaldr]

Why is using HIPAA-Compliant Practice Management Software Important?

In the healthcare industry, data protection is of the utmost priority. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was passed in 1996 to protect the privacy and security of Patient Health Information (PHI). Since then, HIPAA regulations have been enforced to ensure healthcare providers and organizations comply with these standards. With the increase in the popularity of digital health solutions, it has become essential for organizations to use HIPAA-compliant practice management software. 

This software allows providers to organize and securely store all patient information, ensuring it remains private and protected. It also improves the patient experience, reduces operational costs, and streamlines processes. Patients’ data will always be secure with HIPAA-compliant practice management software.

What is HIPAA Compliance?  

HIPAA governs the privacy and portability of individuals’ medical records. It is intended to keep patients’ health-related information private electronically and on paper. As per HIPAA, companies that handle Protected Health Information (PHI) must follow physical, network, and process security measures.

HIPAA compliance rules apply to anyone involved in the delivery of healthcare. Any business associated with access to patient information or that provides support for treatment, payment, or operations must also comply with HIPAA. That’s why HIPAA must bind all subcontractors and business associations.

  In the US, the Office of civil rights governs and enforces HIPAA. So, HIPAA law regulates the use of and disclosure of protected health information. To manage the privacy, security, and integrity of protected health information, every healthcare association should comply with HIPAA continuously.  

The Purpose of HIPAA Compliance Software 

  The purpose of HIPAA compliance software is simple: to safeguard patients’ sensitive information from fraud and specify what individuals can access that information. As a result, HIPAA compliance is critical to ensure that patients have control over their personal health information. Simultaneously, HIPAA governs data disclosure for treatment and public interest.

For these reasons, you must become HIPAA-compliant if you transfer confidential information in any form (verbally, electronically, or with documentation) inside and outside your medical practice. Most of the time, physicians conduct video conferences for patient care. However, standard video conferencing software may not comply with HIPAA regulations if practices use it only for video conferencing. 

  Protecting and securing patient PHI is the primary goal of HIPAA compliance software. The Coronavirus pandemic has given rise to telemedicine, making it more challenging to secure private patient information. Email and text messages can potentially leak sensitive information, so exchanging personal information in person is more secure.

When your practice complies with HIPAA regulations, you can not only protect the security of your patient’s health info, but your practice also receives protection from lawsuits. Furthermore, because HIPAA compliance is required, you will no longer be subject to violation penalties for noncompliance.

Healthcare organizations can conduct telemedicine remotely without worrying about security concerns using HIPAA compliance software. Patients can communicate with their healthcare providers and send their private information using HIPAA software. Thus, patients and institutions receiving treatment can conduct business safely without violating HIPAA. 

Practice Management Software that is HIPAA-Compliant  

  Practice management software is a type of software that helps healthcare providers manage their daily operations, including patient scheduling, medical records management, and billing. It streamlines the workflow, allowing practitioners to dedicate more time to providing value-based care. 

A HIPAA- compliant practice management software is designed to comply with HIPAA policies. It includes features such as secure patient portals, encryption of data in transit and at rest, access control, audit trails, regular security risk assessment, and more. Some of the features of HIPAA-compliant project management software include:

Keeping track of which users accessed information at what time and what they did.

Set user roles so they can only view each patient’s minimum amount of data. 

Physical and encryption security measures are extensive. 

Accounting features that are HIPAA-compliant, if needed. 

Backups should be performed regularly and reliably. 

What Happens If a Medical Practice Isn’t HIPAA-Compliant?

Medical practices often consider it a burden to comply with HIPAA’s Administrative Simplification provisions and the HITECH Provisions Act of 2009. However, many healthcare providers find that using practice management software with an electronic health records (EHR) solution can alleviate this administrative burden.

These solutions save you time and money while reducing medical errors and allowing you to provide care more efficiently. Furthermore, once your practice obtains HIPAA certification and becomes HIPAA-compliant, you will most likely recognize the benefits of adhering to these regulations.

Benefits of HIPAA-Compliant Practice Management Software

When HIPAA is in place, patients know that their information will be kept private, so they are more likely to be honest and open with their providers. This helps improve patient engagement and increases patient outcomes. The great advantage of a HIPAA- compliant practice management software is that it helps upscale the practice. Moreover, the following are a few more benefits of it:

Easy Compliance

  A HIPAA- compliant practice management software provides secure storage and transmission of sensitive patient information, reducing the risk of data breaches and protecting patients’ privacy.

Technical Doctor's insight:

Contact Details : inquiry@technicaldr.com or 877-910-0004 www.technicaldr.com