simplifying HIPAA Compliance and Cloud Computing
January 11th, 2018 by admin
If you work with patient files every day, then you've most likely heard of HIPAA. Anyone creating, storing, or transmitting electronic protected health information (ePHI) is required to be HIPAA compliant These regulations are aimed at protecting individuals who provide their personal and healthcare information to organizations and businesses. With technology integrated into most every aspect of our workplaces, keeping sensitive data secure is getting increasingly difficult. That's where your IT Service Provider comes into the picture.
PTS offers a range of IT solutions for the protection and proper storage of your data. In many cases, we recommend cloud solutions, thanks to their many mobility and business continuity features. One of the best ways to protect against ransomware attacks, in addition to ramping up network security measures, is having a good data backup and recovery solution in place. When your data is stored securely offsite, your business can recover that valuable data even after a disaster, outage, or server crash – an important part of being compliant. You also benefit from additional applications for a range of devices and easy data transfer for employee mobility.
If you're not sure about how to incorporate cloud solutions, take some time to read the HSS guidelines for HIPAA and Cloud Computing. To quote them directly: "May a HIPAA covered entity or business associate use a cloud service to store or process ePHI? Yes, provided the covered entity or business associate enters into a HIPAA-compliant business associate contract or agreement (BAA) with the [cloud service provider] CSP that will be creating, receiving, maintaining, or transmitting electronic protected health information (ePHI) on its behalf, and otherwise complies with the HIPAA Rules." To meet these requirements, our team has undergone specialized training, focused on providing maximum data protection, as well as preparing for possible audits.
We want to share our knowledge. Ask us about our HIPAA Compliance Assessment Report, which explains audit procedures and provides an in-depth report of possible risks and steps to take for full compliance. IT security isn't easy, but with PTS you have a trusted and trained adviser for all things HIPAA.
Source: https://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/for-professionals/special-topics/cloud-computing/index.html
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