The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law that outlines the security measures that must be in place to ensure that PHI is kept private. HIPAA permits healthcare providers and health plans to share health information with third-party vendors for the purpose of treatment, payment and other healthcare operations, or other reasons consistent with the HIPAA privacy rule, without seeking the patients consent. Hence, complying with HIPAA rules is regarded as a yardstick to assess a vendor's integrity, reliability and expertise.
Among the various regulations outlined in HIPAA, those pertaining to security, privacy and healthcare compliance are regarded as crucial for medical outsourcing firms.
Scribe4Me is 100% HIPAA Compliant
We at Scribe4Me believe that client confidentiality is the essence of business ethics and go above and beyond to safeguard the security and privacy of client information. In short, we meet all HIPAA guidelines to guarantee that your data is and remains yours. The following are some of the stringent data protection policies and procedures our company follows in order to ensure delivery of secure and confidential services.
Physical security
We strictly adhere to HIPAA rules and provide top of the line physical security. Our security officer makes sure that security standards set by HIPAA are always met. All storage systems and servers are secured in a safe place under lock and key. High-grade CCTV cameras are placed in strategic locations to maximize security levels. Inside the premises, there are highly trained security guards working 24/7 to deal with situations involving trespass.
Data security
Security and confidentiality of patient private information is our top priority and implement strict measures when it comes to safeguarding data. We observe the best in class security measures to ensure data confidentially and privacy such as firewall protection for servers, up-dated anti-virus software, password-protected logins, monthly file backups, 256 bit encryption for secure file transfer, locked external drives, ban on personal electronic devices at work, confidential agreements signed by employees and much more.
HIPAA Training
We seek to hire and train employees to understand how HIPAA regulates the privacy, security and confidentiality of patient data. We also conduct periodic HIPAA training programs to reinforce the importance of complying with HIPAA rules. Most importantly, this periodic refresher training keeps our employees better informed of the just-in updates on HIPAA rules and regulations.
Employee background verification
We run a pre-employment background check and background screening for all our employees to mitigate risk and maintain HIPAA compliance requirements. Training in HIPAA is mandatory for all employees and they are retrained periodically. Employees are also required to sign a specific non-disclosure agreement and any other legal contracts as deemed necessary. Periodic HIPAA audits are also performed to identify any possible risks and corrective action plans are always in place.
Additional HIPAA compliant measures followed by Scribe4Me for extra security and advanced confidentiality
In addition to the security measures, we have implemented the following initiatives in order to stay on top of HIPAA compliance regulations.
Data security is critical in the healthcare business for securing sensitive patient information and complying with rules set by HIPAA. So, don't take any chances when it comes to patient data security. With Scribe4Me being 100% HIPAA compliant you may rest easy knowing that your PHI is in safe hands.