Users' questions

Are EMR covered by HIPAA?

Are EMR covered by HIPAA?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a US legislation that protects patient information. Most of the compliance requirements for EMRs are listed in the Technical Safeguards of the Security Rule of HIPAA.

How does HIPAA protect electronic medical records?

Specific to protecting the information stored in EHRs, the HIPAA Security Rule requires that health care providers set up physical, administrative, and technical safeguards to protect your electronic health information.

What type of security must be established to ensure confidentiality of the electronic health record?

The use of cryptography has also ensured the security of protected health information in electronic health records systems. Specifically, encryption has enhanced security of EHRs during the exchange of health information.

How do you protect against EMR?

5 Tips for Protecting Your Electronic Health Records

  1. Perform Risk Assessments Regularly. Don’t underestimate the value in performing routine Risk Assessments.
  2. Perform Vulnerability Scans & Penetration Tests.
  3. Utilize Encryption.
  4. Perform Updates & Patch Your Systems.
  5. Check Your Audit Logs.

Do I have to comply with HIPAA?

All organizations are required to comply with the HIPAA Privacy regulations, since Privacy involves safeguards from a people standpoint, but only those who store or transmit protected health information electronically are required to comply with the HIPAA Security regulations which is meant to protect electronic data.

What is the real purpose of an EMR?

Purpose of an EMR. The purpose of an EMR is to provide decision support to healthcare professionals in respect of the rendering of healthcare services to an individual patient, and accommodate data exchange. It’s important to understand that EMR recordings at a practical level consist of a mix of digital and non-digital data/information.

Does EMR protect patient privacy?

While most proponents of computerized medical records support the potential cost reduction, improved accuracy and ease of sharing EMR/EHRs represent, there are certain benefits that EMR systems could also bring to patient privacy. With computerized medical records, everyone who accesses medical information can be recorded. In a 2009 report, the Institute of Medicine called for the creation of an “audit trail” to track those who have accessed their electronic patient records. Such patient

How can I be HIPAA compliant?

To become HIPAA compliant, you will need to study the full text of HIPAA (45 CFR Parts 160, 162, and 164) – which the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights has condensed into 115 pages – and apply those rules to your own business. This can be a daunting prospect,…