Given the advent of the Internet and the free flow of healthcare information, data security and cybersecurity play key roles in several important topics related to healthcare.
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mHealth (mobile health): Through the use of mHealth, numerous electronic capabilities and provisions are available, which make medical records more accessible using sources such as the cloud, mobile apps, and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). mHealth is designed to grant ease of access to medical information and to provide a more responsive patient/care relationship and increase patient satisfaction. This may happen through text, remote access to patient information, and the ability to look up medical records on mobile devices—taking security implications into consideration for public Wi-Fi, Internet, or cell services. For physicians, patients’ medical records are more easily accessed through the use of encryptedenabled communication for texting, remote access, telemedicine, virtual private networks, and specific encrypted applications for communicating with their EMR programs. This guarantees secure, efficient, and timely communication, but additional security controls like encryption solutions for mobile devices and malware for medical devices must be put in place to decrease the vulnerability of patient information getting lost or compromised.
YOUR GOAL IS BREACH PREVENTION
No organization wants to find itself in the position of having to defend a breach. Preventing a breach is ideal and being proactive is necessary. Take these ideas under serious consideration:
• Hire a Managed Service Partner to monitor and manage your IT environment.
• Have regular consultations with a HIPAA knowledgeable attorney.
• Hire a HIPAA Consultant.
• Pay a professional to conduct a Comprehensive Risk Assessment.
• Mitigate the results of a Security Vulnerability Assessment.
• Implement and enforce HIPAA Security Policies/Procedures.
• Get Cyber Insurance and implement a full HIPAA Compliance Program.
• Invest in industry-standard encryption solutions.
• Have an Organizational Policy for addressing and monitoring mobile devices.
• Use Active Directory and Group Policies to enforce User Rights and Security Controls.
• Ensure that medical devices have up-to-date security patches and are malware-free.
• Implement and maintain strong firewalls with subscription services and an Intrusion Detection System (IDS).
• Cultivate a strong, ongoing Security and HIPAA Awareness Program.