Private Practice: Ways To Keep Medical Records Safe And Secure

Today, there are many more rules that stipulate how private patient data can be stored and managed. These new rules were enacted into law with the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Not following these rules can result in significant legal penalties even if you run a private practice. With that in mind, here is an overview of some methods that can be used to keep medical records safe and secure.

Access Controls

One thing that is demanded by the US government is the use of “access controls” to restrict who can view patient data stored on a computer network. The most common access controls you are probably familiar with are passwords and pin number log-ins. Only approved personnel such as doctors, nurses and medical receptionists should be able to log-in and view private patient records. According to Google, the most secure passwords contain a combination of numbers, letters and symbols.

 

Encryption

However, hackers sometimes are able to bypass log-ins to gain access to information. The law also has this in mind and demands encryption techniques as a safe guard. Information that is encrypted cannot be accessed without an encryption key. If it’s stolen without access to the key, the files in question can never actually be opened. Encryption should be used for medical records both while they are in storage and while they are transit between different points in an internet connection.

 

Audit Trail

Third, the law requires that computer systems used to store patient records create an “audit trail.” What this means is that each time a person logs in to the system and accesses a file, information regarding that log-in and file access is recorded. This can allow a professional to audit the information later and find out exactly who was accessing patient records. If there is unauthorized access, it will be recorded.

 

Automatic Log-Outs

Sometimes people leave the computer in the middle of work and leave a computer screen unattended. When this is done when dealing with patient data, it can be a serious privacy concern as someone may see the information who wasn’t supposed to. The system should log-out automatically after a short period to prevent this.

 

Use Professional Medical Software

Thankfully, there are software packages from companies like CareVitality and others that help healthcare professionals follow federal guidelines regarding the security of patient records. As a private practice, you probably don’t have the resources to write your own custom software. Using a medical software suite from a software vendor can help solve that problem.

 

Overall, do everything you can to protect patient data. It’s the ethical thing to do. It’s also the law. If you fail to follow the laws regarding securing patient records, you could face serious consequences and even lose your practice.