The HITECH Act: For Health IT, Quality Care and Safety
Data breaches are a real problem in the healthcare industry. The HITECH Act was introduced in 2009 in the United States to strengthen HIPAA’s privacy and access goals even as it encouraged the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs). HIPAA, introduced more than a decade ago in 1996, wasn’t written with the explosion of Internet…
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Sep 17, 2024
How to Assess HIPAA Compliant Data Centers
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the technology-adoption pace of the medical sector. While the healthcare industry shifting to online processing models, HIPAA regulators didn’t impose any fines for non-compliance in 2019, allowing the telehealth sector to grow swiftly and offer online healthcare services. With things returning to normal, HIPAA is back on its mission to ensure…
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Sep 16, 2024
Healthcare Cybersecurity: Essential Practices for Protection
In October 2021, a Japanese hospital was forced to shut down operations for months. Malicious actors encrypted medical data of 85,000 patients and threatened to leak it unless ransom was paid. This is not an isolated incident – businesses depend on the cloud to accelerate workflow but don’t secure it unless an incident occurs. Cybercriminals…
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Sep 14, 2024
How to Ensure HIPAA Compliance for Software?
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a US federal law that mandates healthcare organizations, including their vendors, with access to PHI to implement standard best practices to protect patient data (such as medical records) and other personal health information. This law extends to cloud-hosted tech firms that use software applications to process…
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Sep 14, 2024
What is a HIPAA Identifier and How is it Used?
“Identify theft is not a joke, Jim. Millions of families suffer every year.” – Dwight Schrute. Remember this iconic line from The Office? While the TV show meant to ridicule his social awkwardness, this statement is very true in real life. Patient health information is valuable in the black market and can be used to…
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Sep 13, 2024
What Is a HIPAA Consent Form and Why It Matters?
Healthcare practices and research centers access, transmit and store patient data. This information is legally protected by the Health Insurance Portability And Accountability Act (HIPAA). The HIPAA consent form ensures patients and health facilities are contractually obligated to their rights and responsibilities. This article discusses what a HIPAA consent form is, what it contains, and…
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Sep 13, 2024