In order to keep patient data secure, The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), sets strict guidelines for the Healthcare Industry. While it may seem like a hard pill to swallow, HIPAA laws are not going to change any time soon and it's vital that healthcare providers work diligently to ensure compliance. The legal regulations are complex, and administrators are spending an exorbitant amount of time keeping tabs on the moving pieces and implementing best practices throughout their offices.
Fortunately, you don't have to take care of HIPAA compliance on your own. A whole industry of experts has risen to help healthcare providers navigate compliance. You can use the expertise of outsourced partners to complete the necessary steps, protecting you against risk and your patients against exposure. By using expert resources, you can also improve your own intraoffice processes.
Technology
Today, healthcare practices have access to healthcare IT Providers who have HIPAA compliance officers on staff. They offer all of the security solutions needed by healthcare practices. Additionally, they oversee the practice’s annual Security Risk Analysis which is the roadmap to compliance. It outlines all of the pieces of the HIPAA puzzle (administrative, physical and technical requirements). Working with outsourced HIPAA compliance experts gives your healthcare practice access to solutions that are meant to simplify the technical aspects of moving everything into the ePHI age.
Your focus should continue to be on developing your medical practice using innovative advances in healthcare. Using an outsourced healthcare IT company with HIPAA compliance management expertise, you can take advantage of technology to keep patient records secure and manage the business of your practice at the same time.
Education, Training & Policies Management
Each year, you have to educate and train staff on HIPAA compliance as well as review and update HIPAA compliance policies. Outsourcing these tasks is not only a time saver, but means you will have the most recent information, tools and documentation support available. Compliance companies offer robust and up to date solutions for practices, including Compliance Management Portals to track all aspects of education, training, policy writing and more, so your practice can concentrate on providing healthcare to patients.
Experience
Not all HIPAA compliance management companies are created equal. In order to work with a team that will bring the greatest benefit to your healthcare practice and your patients, consider its experience. One way to determine whether an outsourced partner is the right fit for you - is to speak to the references they supply. When looking for reliable companies to partner with always with seek out client testimonials.
It can be difficult to keep up with the many moving pieces that make up HIPAA compliance. By using an outsourced HIPAA compliance management team, your healthcare practice will increase efficiency, stay up to date with the latest solutions and meet those requirements.
