What Forms to Offer Online for Intake and Confidentiality
Anyone can file a HIPAA complaint.
Seriously, per the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, "Anyone can file a complaint if they believe in that location has been a violation of the HIPAA Rules." This means that you're open to complaints from patients, partners, and even employees.
One area of your practice where security matters near is your intake forms. Your organisation uses these forms every day.
Let's look at eight ways that you can keep them secure and avoid HIPAA non-compliance.
8 means to ensure the security of your intake forms
- Make your forms electronic
- Enforce a countersign policy
- Install software updates in a timely manner
- Simply use HIPAA-compliant cloud storage
- Use online HIPAA-compliant intake forms
- Make security easy
- Enable electronic signatures
- Brand them mobile-friendly
1. Make your forms electronic
The average paper intake class takes more 20 minutes to fill up out. Subsequently they're completed, someone in your role either has to enter information into the computer or file those forms in erstwhile-fashioned paper folders.
This isn't only inefficient, but information technology too opens y'all up to security risks. Forms may beginning piling upwards on someone's desk. They could end upwards in a shred pile that keeps edifice in a corner. This paper trail makes PHI like shooting fish in a barrel to access for unauthorized individuals such as
- Other patients
- A curious family member
- Night cleanup crew or other staff
- Those seeking to profit from stolen PHI
Using electronic intake forms that patients can fill up out while in the part or at dwelling house reduces this gamble.
2. Enforce a password policy
But considering something is electronic doesn't mean it'south secure. There are many means a malicious or neglectful person could compromise the security of your intake forms. How can you make certain they stay secure?
It'south essential that your role has a clearly defined and written policy for managing passwords.
This should include statements on
- The complexity of passwords
- How frequently people must change them
- Instructions not to share passwords
- Instructions regarding Wi-Fi logins and utilize of unauthorized devices
- Phishing emails and other scams
- Use of other people's logins
three. Install software updates in a timely manner
When a software company becomes aware of a potential vulnerability or hazard, they release an update to fix the problem. The longer you wait to install this update, the longer you'll be at risk. But often people will put off the update because they're so busy. How can you stop this from creating unnecessary security risks?
Y'all can use update tracking software to runway employees who aren't updating their computers. Give the employee several chances to update during a brusque window and if they don't update, and so you can transport a forced update. Forced updates ensure that the needed update happens no matter what.
4. Simply apply HIPAA-compliant cloud storage
We've all heard about the nightmares where someone steals pictures that were saved on "the cloud." This may brand you lot retrieve cloud storage is dangerous. But cloud storage can be simply every bit safe as keeping something on your desktop reckoner.
Many of the familiar names in cloud storage, similar Dropbox, Google Drive, and Carbonite, have HIPAA security options, including information encryption to protect intake forms as they're moved to the deject server.
Information technology's important to realize that simply opening upwards a Dropbox account doesn't protect you from the more than serious data breaches. You lot need a business account with HIPAA-compliant security and a business associate agreement (BAA).
5. Use online HIPAA-compliant intake forms
Waiting until someone is in the function to take them make full out a form tin put your providers backside schedule and frustrate waiting patients. Afterwards all, most people will show up at their scheduled appointment time, which doesn't give them any time to fill out an intake grade.
This doesn't have to be the instance though. Because of all the extra security measures that cloud services and form websites have taken, you tin safely send patients forms by email so that they tin complete them before arriving for an engagement. This volition ensure that your office runs more smoothly and that doctors get to spend more quality fourth dimension with patients and less time reviewing forms.
half-dozen. Make security easy
The easier something is to use, the more secure it is. People don't feel the need to print things unnecessarily, get friends to help, or go out documents open up longer than needed.
When you apply the right HIPAA-compliant intake forms, no technical skills are required. They're easy for patients and your function staff to use, which helps foreclose them from being misused.
7. Enable electronic signatures
Information technology should be easy to sign HIPAA-compliant forms without having to print anything out. Printing, scanning, or faxing puts patient information at run a risk.
When choosing an electronic class provider, make sure that they offer electronic signatures.>
8. Brand them mobile-friendly
Your patient forms should exist piece of cake to view and fill out on whatsoever device. Around fifty percent of online traffic is now on smartphones. In some age groups, this charge per unit is much higher. Making certain forms are easy to access on mobile devices will encourage more patients to use them and reduce the total number of forms you need to print.
Electronic intake forms that support mod practices
Intake forms can create a huge security risk for your practice if they aren't properly secured. Past post-obit these 8 steps and using a HIPAA-compliant electronic course provider, you'll keep your practise safety and efficient.
This article is originally published on Dec 07, 2018, and updated on Dec 21, 2021.
Source: https://www.jotform.com/blog/keep-intake-forms-safe/
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