Telemedicine EMR software solutions have empowered healthcare providers to extend care in the best possible way. However, clinicians cannot ignore the fact that once the telehealth platform is used the patients and their health data are exposed to cybersecurity threats and issues. Healthcare providers and software professionals should take all privacy measures and ensure that the data is secured and encrypted.

Importance of Telemedicine EMR Software to meet HIPAA-compliance

Threats to IT security in the clinical setting include ransomware attacks, phishing attacks, data breaches, and accidental loss of data. It means tight security protocols need to be established to reduce risk from cybersecurity threats. About a third of medical practices say they experienced data breaches on their telehealth platform. The same number of practices revealed the same issues with third-party vendors.

As the telemedicine solution is being embraced by hospital facilities and clinicians because of its many benefits, it must be ensured that the platform is being designed in a way that meets all HIPAA requirements to secure patient data around the clock. Clinicians should be committed to investing in powerful telehealth security.

8 ways to ensure that your Telemedicine Platform is Safe

Here are a few ways which can ensure that patient data is safe and makes virtual healthcare sessions more powerful.

  • Healthcare providers should only look out for telehealth EHR software solutions that are HIPAA Compliant and ensures safe video conferencing for both patients and doctors.
  • Through measures like training, documentation, and webinars clinicians can be kept updated regarding the best cybersecurity practices. For example, physicians can be educated about secure screen-sharing methods. It is preferable when healthcare professionals share their screens during a virtual session they should share by the application instead of their entire desktop. This makes certain that they don’t accidentally expose patient data to a third party or the wrong person.
  • Providers can help to keep patient data safer by minimizing the steps required by the patients to join the telehealth appointment. Schedulers and doctors can ask patients to make video calls from their desktop browser which avoids them to download the app. Patients can also be given the option to join the meeting with the audio-only choice which enables patients to connect to the virtual session over the phone’s audio without relying on data.
  • Ensure to keep up with the regulatory changes as they happen at a fast pace.
  • While providers are establishing a telemedicine EMR software platform it is crucial to use virtual private networks (VPNs) to protect communications while linking remotely with enterprise networks. VPNs ensure that sensitive data is encrypted and goes through appropriate corporate channels. It has been recorded that the use of VPNs has increased by 124%.
  • Healthcare providers should invest in cybersecurity insurance. The purchase of effective cybersecurity policies can help prevent the risk of data breaches as they offer protective software and IT security support.
  • Third-party security can be improved. The incident response rates efforts should not only be focused on internal cyber threats.
  • Medical setups and clinicians should make sure that all mobile devices, communication systems, and software is encrypted to reduce the risk of technology breaches, and phishing attacks through unsecured devices.

Conclusion

Staying safe while using virtual care solutions is essential for any healthcare organization. As digital health is being embraced there are many steps and protocols to ensure the protection of patient data and give peace of mind.

With the above-mentioned security protocols providers can be confident that sensitive patient data will remain safe as these are the best practices for telehealth IT security.