HEALTHCARE AND PATIENT PRIVACY   Term Paper ID:40031 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Considers how healthcare providers can balance the need for comprehensive medical data with the ...... More...

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Paper Abstract: Considers how healthcare providers can balance the need for comprehensive medical data with the requirement for patient privacy mandated by HIPAA. Identifies threats to data security. Paper Introduction: Healthcare Information Systems and Patient privacy Introduction As information technology has become more complex and comprehensive it is possible for providers to have greater access to a broad spectrum ofinformation regarding their patients Increasingly providers haveinformation not only related to their direct interaction with patients butinformation from other providers that might be available through an HMO for example While this can lead to better care by decreasing thelikelihood of one provider not knowing what care strategy another provideris pursuing it also raises Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Health Data Management, 14, p. Individuals with PDAs or laptopscould "plug into" the company's network and obtain data surreptitiously.Because of this, the company has implemented Safend software that preventsunauthorized devices from accessing the network. The mostimportant aspect of data integrity, however, is not part of the informationtechnology system, but is to be found in the culture of the organizationand in a commitment to data security. This analysisconsiders the challenge of providing high-quality care, meeting reportingrequirements, and maintaining data integrity at the same time. In addition, vendors orothers who are making presentations must put their presentations on mediathat can be scanned for viruses or other malicious software before they areuploaded to the network. As more and more employeeswork on laptops that provide greater mobility, there is the threat thatoccurs when laptops are lost or stolen. Other companies encrypt data on laptops, or usebiometric tools such as fingerprint sensors to ensure that only authorizedindividuals have access to the information stored on the laptop. While this can lead to better care by decreasing thelikelihood of one provider not knowing what care strategy another provideris pursuing, it also raises questions of patient confidentiality. In addition, providers areincreasingly recognizing that protecting data is important from acompetitive standpoint. Increasingly, providers haveinformation not only related to their direct interaction with patients, butinformation from other providers that might be available through an HMO,for example. In addition, to prevent employees from takingunauthorized files, the company added additional Safend software thatrecords all data read or copied from a CD (Goedert, 2 6). 36.Marshall, S. Crain's New York Business, 22, p. This increases the vulnerability of the system tocompromise, particularly if users resort to printed files or transferringfiles on the Internet without encryption (Marshall, 2 6). Some companies combat this threatwith password protection; this is a quick strategy that is also one of themost ineffective. This is as it should be, but providers are increasingly findingthat software is not necessarily compatible across all EMR systems, whichmeans that information that needs to be transferred from one provider toanother might end up being transferred to a less secure system such as anExcel worksheet. Asinformation is compressed into bits and stored on servers that aregeographically dispersed, it can be difficult to track where informationresides, or exactly who is maintaining which information. Patient care goes digital. Background The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)requires that providers ensure that they are taking steps to protect theintegrity and privacy of their clients. Health Management Technology, 27, pp. (2 4, January). 2 F. Threats to Data Security Threats to data security can come from a wide variety of sources, andit is impossible to enumerate all of these. Preparing for interoperability. This use of technology improves thecare given to patients by reducing the mistakes associated with poorphysician handwriting, and also decreases the time required to processprescriptions ("Payer Funds," 2 4). However, Connecticare also recognizes that PDAs and similar devicescan pose a threat to data integrity. (2 6, December). Onecompany, Absolute Software of Canada, has developed software that willerase a laptop's hard drive if it is "missing." This software wasimplemented by John C. Health Data Management, 12, p. Companies considering implementing or upgrading the EMR systems shouldtake into account data security, including whether to allow outsidedevices, whether to encrypt data, and how to react if data is compromised.By building these considerations into the selection process and monitoringthese considerations through the implementation phase, the company canensure that the culture supports data integrity and keeps it as a highpriority (Danello, 2 6). ReferencesDanello, P. 3 -34.Goedert, J. All laptopsautomatically dial a specific server whenever they connect to the Internetto indicate where the laptop is currently located. If the laptop has beentagged as "lost" or "missing," the information technology staff at Lincolncan send a message back to the laptop to erase its hard drive. (2 6, March 6). Keeping up with HIPAA compliance. Implementation Considerations When healthcare organizations set about to implement electronicmedical record (EMR) systems, they are primarily concerned about theefficacy and efficiency of the system, not necessarily the risks to dataintegrity. This doesnot require that the staff know exactly where the laptop is, only that itis in unauthorized hands (Goedert, 2 6). There aresoftware and hardware measures that can be taken to help maintain dataintegrity, and these should be implemented as appropriate. 15.Payer funds PDA-based Rx. Healthcare Information Systems and Patient privacy Introduction As information technology has become more complex and comprehensive,it is possible for providers to have greater access to a broad spectrum ofinformation regarding their patients. Thus maintaining a safe and secure data environment is importantnot only with regard to patient medical information, but also with regardto financial information and strategic information (). Connecticare makes extensive use of PDAs and other portable devices,and has even made these devices available to physicians so that they canenter prescriptions to retail and mail order pharmacies in "real-time" asthey are interacting with patients. Conclusion Maintaining data integrity in a healthcare environment is not onlyimportant because of HIPAA compliance; it can provide strategic advantageand ensure that the company is successful in the long-term. Lincoln Health Care network in Phoenix. (2 6, September). If data is compromised, the company as a whole cansuffer. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.