Discussion topic:
In this week's Managing Computer Systems lecture, you learned about threats to computer systems ranging from hardware failure to natural disaster to malicious intrusion by hackers or malware. In your workplace or home environment, what precautions are in place to safeguard data and to keep computer and network systems operational? Do you see any areas where additional steps could be taken to improve security and reliability?
Discussion post:
Improvements in technology have done much to benefit the field of Healthcare. With the aid of modern technology medical records can be easily shared between caregivers separated by long distances in minutes. Patients and caregivers alike benefit from the efficiency of electronic sharing of healthcare records. Unnecessary and costly procedures can be spared by the simple sharing of electronic healthcare information. However, how do patients know their information is safely managed? Who is responsible for setting electronic record management standards?
One governing body most health care workers are familiar with is HIPAA. Congress has granted the authority and duty to implement regulation of HIPAA to the Department of Health and Human Services. We are all aware that HIPAA outlines who may view medical records and what precautions must be taken when storing charts and records. What some workers may not realize is that in addition to privacy policies HIPAA also outlines security policies to ensure medical records are safely managed.1 HIPAA privacy rules have been in place since 1996. The privacy rules do include provisions for protected healthcare information but the newer security standards are more specific and were only required as of 2006. The detailed security standards can be located in the HIPPA Security Rule at 45 CFR § 164.304. These standards are broken up into three parts; administrative standards, physical safeguards, and technical safeguards. Administrative safeguards delineate the responsibility to assign and train qualified security staff to protect and maintain secure networks. Physical safeguards include steps taken to restrict access to electronic networks. Technical safeguards are the “automated processes” such as authentication codes and encryption used on data as it is sent and stored. Patients concerned about the safety of their medical records can look to the HIPAA security protocols as reassurance that their electronic information is safe. Just as HIPAA has strict standards on who can view patient information they have equally detailed requirements about the storage and sending of electronic medial records.1
References
1 Department of Health and Human services USA. HIPAA Security Series: 101 for Covered Entities. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 2004(2). http://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ocr/privacy/hipaa/administrative/securityrule/security101.pdf. Accessed on November 11, 2016.
In this week's Managing Computer Systems lecture, you learned about threats to computer systems ranging from hardware failure to natural disaster to malicious intrusion by hackers or malware. In your workplace or home environment, what precautions are in place to safeguard data and to keep computer and network systems operational? Do you see any areas where additional steps could be taken to improve security and reliability?
Discussion post:
Improvements in technology have done much to benefit the field of Healthcare. With the aid of modern technology medical records can be easily shared between caregivers separated by long distances in minutes. Patients and caregivers alike benefit from the efficiency of electronic sharing of healthcare records. Unnecessary and costly procedures can be spared by the simple sharing of electronic healthcare information. However, how do patients know their information is safely managed? Who is responsible for setting electronic record management standards?
One governing body most health care workers are familiar with is HIPAA. Congress has granted the authority and duty to implement regulation of HIPAA to the Department of Health and Human Services. We are all aware that HIPAA outlines who may view medical records and what precautions must be taken when storing charts and records. What some workers may not realize is that in addition to privacy policies HIPAA also outlines security policies to ensure medical records are safely managed.1 HIPAA privacy rules have been in place since 1996. The privacy rules do include provisions for protected healthcare information but the newer security standards are more specific and were only required as of 2006. The detailed security standards can be located in the HIPPA Security Rule at 45 CFR § 164.304. These standards are broken up into three parts; administrative standards, physical safeguards, and technical safeguards. Administrative safeguards delineate the responsibility to assign and train qualified security staff to protect and maintain secure networks. Physical safeguards include steps taken to restrict access to electronic networks. Technical safeguards are the “automated processes” such as authentication codes and encryption used on data as it is sent and stored. Patients concerned about the safety of their medical records can look to the HIPAA security protocols as reassurance that their electronic information is safe. Just as HIPAA has strict standards on who can view patient information they have equally detailed requirements about the storage and sending of electronic medial records.1
References
1 Department of Health and Human services USA. HIPAA Security Series: 101 for Covered Entities. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 2004(2). http://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/ocr/privacy/hipaa/administrative/securityrule/security101.pdf. Accessed on November 11, 2016.