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By using one of these resources, you can easily store and access all of your important data, including your patients' medical records. However, before you sign up for a cloud provider or a data center, make sure that you verify that the service you are considering is HIPAA compliant.
How does HIPAA Work?
HIPAA was put in place in 1996, and Title II contains all of the applicable guidelines that pertain to the storage and transmittal of patient records. The basic idea behind it was to ensure that no one would need to be concerned about their personal medical records falling into the hands of a third-party without their consent. In today's world of ever changing technology, HIPAA compliant data centers can provide a protected environment necessary for medical documents.
However, if your healthcare business fails to follow the proper procedures, you could face large fines, and it could also damage your reputation. Therefore, as a medical business, it is imperative to remain compliant with HIPAA and include all of the new revisions that are made on an annual basis.
Remaining Compliant while Storing Medical Records
There are several steps that you must take when you are electronically storing medical records. For example, you would not be in compliance if your network does not have basic security measures in place such as a firewall and virus protection. It is also important to verify the identity of anyone who requests medical records.
Storing records electronically is the best way to ensure that the important data is not lost, but it also carries some risks.
After all, if you do not have enough security in place, a third party could hack into your system and steal the medical records of all of your patients. To prevent this from happening, you should strongly consider using a HIPAA compliant data center or cloud storage provider. These options both include extremely high levels of security, and they also enable you to access the data from anywhere.
The Importance of Easy Accessibility
In the past, all medical records were kept in charts that were physically stored on-site. Although this process is still important for dealing with patients in person, it is not efficient enough for the modern healthcare office. In order to improve the quality of service that you offer, it is vital to have an electronic back-up for all of your records.
After all, the data contains information that could potentially save a patient's life, and you should never risk losing it. When you use a cloud provider or a data center, you will gain easy access to the records at anytime from anywhere in the world. This will make it much easier to assist your patients during an emergency, and it will also help you offer your opinion on a situation when you are not able to get to the office.
By taking advantage of a HIPAA compliant data center or cloud storage provider, you will be able to rest assured that all of your records are securely backed up. With the added bonus of being able to access the records from anywhere, it makes perfect sense for every healthcare provider to look into compliant cloud storage or data center provider.
Author Bio:
In today’s world, patients' privacy is so important and Kelly Kovacic writes this article to bring awareness to the many different choices available for data storage. Quality Technology Service has HIPAA compliant data centers that have integrated data and cloud services to support even the most complex IT environments, including the healthcare field. You can rest assured that your patients' information is safe and protected.