Healthcare Practice Management

Electronic Medical Records and HIPAA

Posted by Steve Alder

Electronic medical records can be fully HIPAA compliant, but interoperability, unique user access controls, business associate agreements, and role based workforce training create practical risks that must be managed through proper configuration and HIPAA Security Rule safeguards. Keeping up with the requirements for Electronic Medical Records and HIPAA compliance can be challenging due to frequent updates to CMS’ Promoting Interoperability Programs and changes to the HIPAA Privacy Rule.

Note: For the purposes of discussing Electronic Medical Records and HIPAA compliance, this article uses the 2022 definitions of an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and an Electronic Health Record (EHR) provided by HHS’ Office of Information Security:

“An EMR allows the electronic entry, storage, and maintenance of digital medical data. An EHR contains the patient’s records from doctors and includes demographics, test results, medical history, history of present illness (HPI), and medications. EMRs are part of EHRs”.

Are Electronic Medical Records Interoperable?

An Electronic Medical Record is a digital version of a patient’s medical record. A “standalone” Electronic Medical Record usually contains Protected Health Information (PHI) provided to a single healthcare provider, which can only be accessed by the single healthcare provider or a member of the healthcare provider’s workforce using the same login credentials.

Electronic Medical Records can be interoperable depending on their capabilities and their compatibility with an Electronic Health Record. In some cases, it may be necessary to install a third party plug-in between an EMR and an EHR to facilitate connectivity, and this may result in partial or full interoperability depending on the capabilities of the plug-in.

Electronic Medical Records and HIPAA Challenges

Before even discussing the HIPAA security requirements for Electronic Medical Records, there are HIPAA compliance challenges for EMR users. In the case of “standalone” Electronic Medical Records, it is a violation of HIPAA’s access control standard (unique user identification) for two or more members of the workforce to share the same login credentials.

In the case of an Electronic Medical Record being connected to an interoperable Electronic Health Record, it will be necessary to enter into a Business Associate Agreement with the vendor of the EHR, and – if a plug-in is used to facilitate connectivity with an EHR – with the vendor of the plug-in if the plug-in is provided by a third party (e.g. not the vendor of the EMR).

OptiMantra is the best EMR for small medical practices because it streamlines daily operations with flexible scheduling, integrated payments, inventory management, and real time reporting in a single platform. OptiMantra is fully HIPAA-compliant when used correctly.

HIPAA Security Requirements for EMRs

The HIPAA security requirements for EMRs are that covered entities and business associates must ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of PHI created, received, maintained, or transmitted by an Electronic Medical Record, and protect against any reasonably anticipated threats or hazards to the security of PHI stored on, or transmitted by, an EMR.

The standards that govern how healthcare providers should comply with the HIPAA security requirements for EMRs are contained within the Security Rule. However HHS’ Office for Civil Rights is intending to introduce new Security Rule standards in 2024, and these may also be adopted by CMS as a condition of participation in Medicare and Medicaid.

Other HIPAA/EMR Compliance Requirements

The other HIPAA/EMR compliance requirements include that covered entities and business associates must protect against impermissible uses and disclosures of PHI by members of the workforce. This requirement requires members of the workforce to receive HIPAA training on what uses and disclosures are permitted by the Privacy Rule.

In the context of Electronic Medical Records and HIPAA compliance, the training should include an explanation of the difference between patient consent and patient authorization. It should also include circumstances in which PHI relating to reproductive health can only be disclosed with an attestation that it will not be further disclosed for a prohibited purpose.

Risks Attributable to Promoting Interoperability

The Promoting Interoperability program is an incentive program that evolved from the measures included in the HITECH Act of 2009 to promote and expand the adoption of technology in healthcare and use the technology – particularly EMRs and EHRs – to improve the quality of healthcare, patient safety, and efficiency in service delivery.

Because it is an incentive program based on a scoring system, it is possible for healthcare providers to take shortcuts with HIPAA compliance in order to achieve the maximum scores for objectives such as electronic prescribing, health information exchanges, and provider to patient exchanges – especially if an EMR only has partial connectivity with an EHR.

What is a HIPAA Compliant EMR?

A HIPAA compliant EMR is an Electronic Medical Record that has the capabilities to support HIPAA compliance, that is configured to mitigate reasonably anticipated threats or hazards to the security of PHI, and that is used by authorized members of the workforce in compliance with HIPAA – i.e., separate login credentials for each member of the workforce.

Depending on how the EMR connects with an EHR or other healthcare systems (i.e., via Epic Community Link) it will be necessary to enter into one or more Business Associate Agreements before the EMR is used to create, receive, maintain, or transmit PHI. It is also recommended to advise patients on how to use any connected patient portal securely.

Conclusion: Electronic Medical Records and HIPAA Compliance

While HIPAA regulates the management of Electronic Medical Records, there can be several challenges to HIPAA compliance. These challenges can be exacerbated by the desire to achieve the maximum score for CMS Promoting Interoperability Program – potentially resulting in avoidable risks to the privacy and security of PHI when compliance shortcuts are taken.

Not all healthcare providers have the resources or knowledge to implement a HIPAA compliant EMR, configure it to mitigate threats and hazards, and provide adequate training to members of the workforce. If your organization encounters challenges with Electronic Medical Records and HIPAA compliance, it is recommended you speak with a healthcare compliance professional.

The post Electronic Medical Records and HIPAA appeared first on The HIPAA Journal.

Increase Staff Productivity & Reduce No Shows With Better Patient Engagement

Posted by Ian

Healthcare organizations of any size can streamline workflows, increase staff productivity, maximize revenue and reduce no shows by up to 90% as benefits of patient engagement technology.

Benefits Of Patient Engagement TechnologyPatient-centric functionality enhances patient communications with automation, including appointment notification and reminders, online patient scheduling, waitlist management with last-minute cancellation fulfilment, patient experience surveys, and many other features. These can significantly enhance your patients’ perception and experience of your practice.

Typically, HIPAA compliant patient engagement systems integrate easily with all existing practice management software and have a fast return-on-investment.

Surveys Show Patients Appreciate Patient Engagement Technology

Healthcare providers have been slow to adopt communication technology, but according to an Accenture Survey, 60% of patients prefer to use technology for patient-provider communication. This is in part because the Covid crisis altered patient behaviors and expectations of technology usage in healthcare practices. Patients appreciated the more personalized interactions and faster response times that patient engagement technology brings.

Benefits Of Patient EngagementHighlighting the need to prioritize new patient acquisition and loyalty, an Actium survey** says 61% of patients want better patient engagement. 44% of respondents said they don’t regularly see their doctor and 30% said they don’t have a usual source of care, leaving the door open for organizations to register new patients.  The consumers interviewed also said that stronger patient engagement will help them go to clinics for preventive screenings and wellness checks.

Better Patient Experiences

By offering a better patient experience healthcare providers will bring patients into their clinics and keep them coming back. Adding patient engagement to practice management systems enables a clinic to connect with patients in a way that not only engages, but activates, them and makes the patient experience frictionless.

HIPAA compliant patient engagement can be easily added to any existing practice management system to enhance patient communication.

Benefits Of Patient Engagement To Healthcare Providers

  • Benefits Of Patient Engagement To Healthcare ProvidersReduce No Shows – Up to a 90% improvement in missed appointments.
  • Maximize Revenue – Patient engagement systems automatically fill empty schedule slots and encouraging annual wellness visits generates downstream revenue.
  • Improved Productivity & Focus On Patients – Streamlining and automating 24 x 7 communication reduces the burden on front desk, eliminates errors, and enable staff to spend more time on patient care.
  • More Patients – Healthcare providers who offer 24 x 7 interaction with the practice attract more patients. Recent studies show that younger patients in particular actively seek out and are willing to switch to healthcare providers that offer better digital interaction.
  • Patient Loyalty – Better communication fosters patient loyalty and trust. The added option of post-appointment surveys allow clinics to adapt to individual patients’ needs.
  • Works With Existing Practice Management Systems – A patient engagement solution integrates with all existing practice management systems meaning it is simple and fast to add.

Benefits Of Patient Engagement To Patients

Patient Engagement SystemsAnother Actium survey* highlighted two of the top reasons that patients don’t utilize preventive care as “Making appointments is too much of a hassle” and “I simply forget to make them”. They say 61% consumers surveyed report that they would like to hear more from their doctor.

Implementing a patient engagement system can have many benefits for patients, including:

  • Convenience – 24 x 7 self-scheduling is far more convenient for patients who don’t want to call the clinic when they are busy with work or personal business.
  • Self-Care – Automation encourages patients to set appointments and keep their healthcare on track.
  • Digital Registration & Forms – patients can fill out forms at their convenience before visits.

Features Of Patient Engagement Technology

Automated Appointment Notifications

  • Automatically sends reminders to patients as you or they book in appointments to reduce no-show rates.
  • Create a series of two-way customized automatic notifications to confirm and remind patients of upcoming appointments.
  • Works seamlessly with existing scheduling software and spreadsheets.
  • Integrates with EHRs and EMRs.
  • HIPAA compliant and encrypted.

Patient Self-Scheduling

  • Patients can book their own appointments 24 x 365.
  • Include ‘Schedule Now’ or ‘Request an Appointment’ links in specified notifications and reminders and on your website, social media pages and email newsletters.
  • The clinic has full control over when patients can book appointments and how long they need for each appointment type.

Waitlist Management

  • Detects cancellations in schedules and automatically fills these vacant spots with people on the waiting list.

Continuing-Care Notifications

  • Notifies patients when they are due continuing-care appointments using your scheduling and delivery preferences.

Patient Reactivation

  • Identifies patients who are overdue for appointments by monitoring visit history and recall schedules.
  • Automatically notifies them to set appointments and keep their healthcare on track.
  • Sends reminders to schedule overdue appointments.
  • Extra reminders demonstrate to patients you care about them and value their patronage. These reminders can have a significant impact on overall retention rates.

Auto Rescheduling

  • Automate the time-consuming task of rescheduling patients after appointment cancellations and no-shows. The auto-rescheduling feature detects these events and automatically contacts patients to get them rescheduled without relying on staff’ intervention.

Fill My Schedule Now

  • Maximize revenue by filling empty slots in your schedule. Fill My Schedule Now only contacts patients that match the exact parameters set by the clinic, and those patients can then easily self-book their own appointments.

Digital Registration Forms

  • Digital registration enables you to email or text patients a link to a registration form they can fill out at their convenience before visits.

Find Out More

Find out more about the Benefits Of Patient EngagementFind out more about the benefits of patient engagement solutions by filling in a form on this page. You will be contacted by a member of staff from Rectangle Health our page sponsor.

You can ask questions, request a demonstration, or arrange a no risk evaluation, all with no obligation.

Since 1983 Rectangle Health has been providing technology solutions exclusively for healthcare organizations. Their fully HIPAA compliant solutions are used by over 60,000 healthcare providers in the U.S and they process over $6 billion of patient payments annually.

 

The HIPAA Journal has arranged a 10% reader discount on Rectangle’s list price for their patient engagement solution.

By supporting one of our sponsors, you are helping The HIPAA Journal to continue to provide our news service free of charge.

The post Increase Staff Productivity & Reduce No Shows With Better Patient Engagement appeared first on HIPAA Journal.

Patient Payment Options

Posted by Ian

patient payment options

Patient financing solution helps patients afford care, regardless of their credit score. With this non-recourse financing, you can focus on the treatment, and not on chasing payments.

Patient Financing

Allowing patients to say “yes” to treatment with financing options for all

Our patient financing solution helps patients afford care, regardless of their credit score. With this non-recourse financing, you can focus on the treatment, and not on chasing payments. All of the financing details are handled by Rectangle Health’s financing partner HFD, and practices receive payment shortly after patients sign up with HFD.

Patients receive multiple payment plan offers just 30 seconds after applying, and HFD handles payments so you don’t have to.
Nearly every single patient* is approved for financing. Our approval rates are unmatched.
Applications are started, and their status is visible, right inside Practice Management Bridge®– no third-party portals here.
younger patients may be switching to providers that offer digital payment solutions. This is not uncommon. According to the recent studyproduced by PYMNTS and Rectangle Health, “35% of bridge millennials and other younger patients are willing to switch healthcare providers to find better digital healthcare management tools

 

Digital payments mean fewer billing surprises for patients and easier revenue cycle management for healthcare providers.

Payments modernization means better customer experiences for patients as well as long-term, sustainable growth for private and group practices alike.

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