Securing Electronic Communication in the Cloud
[By Carol S. Miller BSN MBA PMP]
To help hospitals and health systems comply with burdens of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act [HIPAA] regulations, best practices are emerging for securing all electronic communication – cloud, wireless, and texting – of protected health information.
These new technologies will continually be evolving with hospitals, providers and patients move to new means of communication.
And so, below is a very brief description of one: cloud solutions.
Cloud Solutions
Cloud solutions are becoming a needed commodity in treating patients today but also present a risk to privacy and security violation. Despite the advantages of cloud computing, organizations are often hesitant to use it because of concerns about security and compliance.
Specifically, they fear potential unauthorized access to patient data and the accompanying liability and reputation damage resulting from the need to report HIPAA breaches. While these concerns are understandable, a review of data on HIPAA breaches published by the HHS shows that these concerns are misplaced.
In fact, by using a cloud-based service with an appropriate security and compliance infrastructure, a facility can significantly reduce its compliance risk.
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[A.I. and the “SINGULARITY”]*
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Because HIPAA compliance involves stringent privacy and security protections for electronic protected health information (PHI), many cloud providers are balking at signing new Business-Associate agreements.
Most cloud-technology providers, such as Box and Dropbox, do not include the built-in privacy protections that guarantee HIPAA compliance. Because many cloud storage companies store plaintext data on their servers, PHI is especially vulnerable to breaches and compliance violations.
Note:
The SINGULARITY is that hypothetical moment in time when Artificial Intelligence [AI] will have progressed to the point of a greater-than-human intelligence.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
- Carol S. Miller; BSN, MBA, PMP
- ACT IAC Executive Committee Vice Chair at-Large
- HIMSS NCA Board Member
- President – Miller Consulting Group
- 7344 Hooking Road
- McLean, VA 22101
- Phone: 703-407-4704
- Fax: 703-790-3257
- email: millerconsultgroup@gmail.com
Conclusion
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OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:
- PRACTICES: www.BusinessofMedicalPractice.com
- HOSPITALS: http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781466558731
- CLINICS: http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9781439879900
- ADVISORS: www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org
- FINANCE: Financial Planning for Physicians and Advisors
- INSURANCE: Risk Management and Insurance Strategies for Physicians and Advisors
- Dictionary of Health Economics and Finance
- Dictionary of Health Information Technology and Security
- Dictionary of Health Insurance and Managed Care
