As we’ve grown fundamentally more reliant on technology to aid us in the workplace, this reliance brings associated risks. In the healthcare world, this is especially the case. Considering the amount of patient data recorded and utilized in the medical sector, the need to safely track data with expedient, safe tech solutions is rising. Furthermore, integrating modern tech into provider and patient care services isn’t just viable, it’s a necessity.
But once again, this creates serious risk factors, riding the line of cybersecurity. Indeed, medical and healthcare networks are no strangers to cyber-attacks. Ransomware surged in both targets and implementation during the initial waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, exploiting a weakened medical system. It was notoriously effective, despite the human cost involved. But even before that, stressing the protection of digital patient info has always been a mainstay of modern medical providers.
You know this as HIPAA. Remaining HIPAA-compliant in these times is more critical than ever. Not only because safeguarding patient info is important, but because contemporary legislation and regulatory demands are taking firmer stances on cybersecurity as a whole. In other words, compliance is important, and not meeting modern standards will incur federal fines and penalties, something no one wants to deal with.
Modern HIPAA Compliance
The core foundations of HIPAA remain in place, mainly dealing with the privacy and accessibility of patient information. As well, the access, saving, and transportation of this patient data still must follow the proper regulatory procedures. The rest are related to disclosure procedures and detailed breakdowns of PHI information and who can access it.
The nature of HIPAA is always changing, of course, and one of those changes is its relationship to the digital realm. Even today, there are problems with the recording, transportation, and safekeeping of medical data. Also, errors in record keeping can create other paperwork issues down the line, which adds layers of backtracking and time-consuming fixes.
Maintaining both compliance and info security comes down to the organization, its policies, how those policies are taught, and infrastructure. In other words, no single “solution” exists to manage a perfect HIPAA policy; all factors have to be accounted for. That does not mean it’s impossible, however, and your practice does have tools it can take advantage of.
Dictation and HIPAA Help
In a medical environment, professionals need every tool they can get. That’s why dictation software has grown in use, and Dragon Medical One facilitates one of the best capture tools around.
There are several use cases where dictation software can assist not only on time but with HIPAA compliance as well. While managing a good HIPAA-compliance policy ultimately comes down to the practice, using dictation applications such as Dragon Medical One can help.
Primarily, the first reason deals with accuracy. The dictation platform provides unmatched accuracy, meaning less time wasted having to correct notes. Many cheap or basic dictation platforms can’t compete, leading to frequent errors and corrections. Those errors only add to time demands versus resolving them, since you spend time correcting them. Furthermore, it runs the risk of recording inaccurate data, which is dangerous regarding patient care.
More so, time spent dealing with mountains of paperwork only increases chances for errors, on top of the already mountainous levels of documentation physicians typically deal with. Given the accessibility of Dragon Medical One, it’s also useful to dictate in a secure environment and with devices sanctioned for use, reducing the chance of leaks during work hours.
Given the changing nature of HIPAA and increasing focus on information disclosure, assuring said info is completely accurate remains a critical aspect of total healthcare. The ability to dictate this information as quickly and accurately as possible, then, is essential.
