With growing adoption of EMR and EHR systems, the concern with electronic patient records privacy and security is growing. In 1996, Congress passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which created national standards for medical records security. HIPAA laws and regulations set limits on the use and access to medical records and establish a series of EMR privacy safeguards. The American Medical Association (AMA) has also listed some guidelines to ensure EMR safety.
There are several measures doctors and hospitals should take to secure EMR and be HIPAA compliant. One of the most effective is data encryption. Encryption technology protects EMRs while they are being transferred and ensures that only the intended recipients are able to view them. Also, all hospitals and health providers are required to have firewalls on their computer networks. Firewalls are a strong first line of defense for medical records security by blocking unwanted access to the computer networks used by EMR systems.
To find out more, view the following 2-Minute Guide on EMR Privacy and Security.
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