Protection of Healthcare Data/Information
a) Data Content that needs to be protected
- Information included by doctors and allied medical practitioners, nurses and various healthcare service providers inserted in the medical records.
- Conversations between the physician pertaining to treatment, with nurses and other medical professionals related to a particular individual.
- Personal data regarding an individual in health insurer’s (insurance company) computer system.
- Medical billing information pertaining to an individual at a particular physician’s clinic.
- Various data pertaining to an individual’s health possessed and processed by those entities that incorporate HIPAA.
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b) Methods for protection of information/data content
- Covered entities must ensure safeguards for providing protection to data or information regarding an individual’s health.
- Covered entities must reasonably limit the uses and disclosures to the bare minimum essential for accomplishment of their goals.
- Contracts must be in place with their contractors and miscellaneous vendors by the concerned covered entities, thus ensuring that the usage and disclosure of personal health information is appropriate and safeguarded adequately.
- Covered entities must have processes and procedures in place to restrict viewer- ship to an individual’s health related data and health information. Such entities must implement training programs for employees regarding the protection of an individual’s health information.
