Like most professional dentists, you might wonder whether your older dental IT infrastructure is HIPAA compliant. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) came into existence in 1996 and set the rules and standards for protecting electronic patient health.
Since then, many practices have actively engaged with external dental IT services to ensure compliance with HIPAA. If your dental practice is not HIPAA compliant, don’t worry. This guide will explain everything you need to know about becoming compliant.
Get a Solid Understanding of HIPAA
The first step in working your way to becoming HIPAA compliant is to get a solid understanding of the entire program. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted to protect electronic health information. The law sets precedents and standards for protecting critical patient information, including the requirements for security, access, and any data breaches.
HIPAA is crucial, especially in today’s day and age of electronic health records. EHRs contain sensitive information, and it is important to protect them from unauthorized access. While your dental practice may seem to be compliant in some areas, others may have vulnerabilities that may expose you to cyberattacks.
Implement HIPAA Requirements
HIPAA outlines several requirements that can be divided into three separate categories:
- Security
- Access
- Breach Notification
Security Requirements
The security requirements help prevent unauthorized access to sensitive patient health information. They include the following components:
- Security management process
- Physical security
- Technical security
- Administrative security
Access Requirements
The access requirements ensure that only authorized individuals have access to critical information. They include the following requirements:
- Authentication and access control
- Emergency access
- Disclosure limitation
Breach Requirements
The breach requirements are designed to promptly notify authorized individuals of any data breaches or unauthorized access to data. They include the following requirements:
- Breach notification
- Urgent notification
- Risk assessment
Get IT Support for Dentists
Many practices don’t have the dental IT services they need to ensure HIPAA compliance. Some practitioners don’t consider network and IT infrastructure essential components of their business.
Like all healthcare providers, dentists also have a legal obligation to protect critical patient data, and ignoring the maintenance of their IT infrastructure can lead to a breach of these obligations.
That said, dentists aren’t aware of the importance of having the right IT structure and the importance of getting managed IT services for dentists that help them remain compliant with HIPAA
While you can try complying with the various stringent rules and regulations on your own, it is highly recommended to hire the services of an expert IT professional who can put systems and protocols in place to ensure that your dental practice complies with all the laws.
When you partner with external dental IT services, you’ll save a lot of time that you can use to focus on providing quality dental care. You’ll also avoid any audits and save a lot of money.
Get Started with Foris IT Management
If you’re looking for top-rated dental IT services to help you with all your HIPAA compliance needs, you’ve come to the right place. Foris IT is your one-stop solution for all your dental IT needs. We have worked with numerous Texas dentists and helped them build robust and secure IT infrastructures.
We have established a solid reputation by providing reliable and affordable general IT services for dental practices in Texas. We can also help you with cybersecurity and support, data backup disaster recovery services, and network security audit services in Texas.
Visit our website for more information. Alternatively, get in touch with our experts for a free consultation.
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