HIPAA-Compliant EHR
HIPAA-Compliant Security Designed to Pass OMIG Audit
We understand that HIPAA compliance as it relates to your electronic health records is about more than simply safeguarding data. It’s about protecting the people you serve.
Our software helps you preserve the privacy and security of every patient’s electronic health record and other protected patient health information by:
- Controlling Access: Only authorized people in designated roles have access to relevant patient medical records and health data (what, in HIPAA terms, means the “Minimum Necessary Requirement”)
- Instituting Multiple Safeguards: Password protection, two-factor authentication, idle timeouts, automatic logouts, and secure server access add further layers of protection to patient data
- EHR Caretaking: Routine backups ensure that healthcare providers don't lose patient information due to technical glitches or user errors
Controlled Access to Patients' Health & Medical Information
The HIPAA Privacy Rule dictates that access to what’s considered protected health information should be reasonably limited to the minimum number of people necessary to accomplish your intended purpose. ClinicTracker offers many ways for you to limit staff members’ access to various parts of our EHR system. You can also configure which users can see which patient records.
Some examples of how you can use ClinicTracker’s security features are:
- Restrict a staff member who works in Location A from accessing patient records in Location B
- Allow an administrative assistant to enter demographic information, but only view progress notes
- Give permission for a compliance officer to view documentation, but not make changes
- Confine access to the records of staff who participate in an Employee Assistance Program
- Preclude a particular clinician from viewing information about patients on someone else’s caseload
Safeguards for Maintaining Protected Health Information
The HIPAA Security Rule requires covered entities to maintain reasonable and appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards for electronic protected health information. ClinicTracker helps you meet these requirements by allowing you to:
- Specify individual user system access and edit permissions
- Limit patient record access in a variety of ways
- Require a password at each log in
- Specify your password complexity, age, and history requirements
- Lock users out of the EHR after a number of incorrect password entries or after a number of days of inactivity
- Review audit logs to see a history of who has viewed, saved, exported, printed, or deleted a patient record
EHR Caretaking to Prevent Patient Data Loss
The loss of patient information is simply unacceptable. We protect your healthcare organization's information by running daily maintenance routines and creating nightly backups. If you access ClinicTracker from our Hosting Service, we completely manage backup retention and offsite storage for you. If your software is installed locally, you are only responsible for ensuring that the nightly backups are securely stored to an off-site location.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does HIPAA compliance apply to the behavioral health field?
What are the main components of HIPAA compliance in behavioral health settings?
What are the most common HIPAA violations in the behavioral health field?
In the behavioral health field, some of the most common HIPAA violations include unauthorized disclosure of patient information in a covered entity, whether through accidental sharing or deliberate breaches of confidentiality. This can occur through conversations with unauthorized individuals, improper email usage, or insufficient access controls within electronic health records.
Inadequate data security measures, such as lack of encryption or weak password protection, can also leave patient information vulnerable to unauthorized access or breaches. Improper disposal of records, such as failing to securely shred documents containing sensitive information, poses another significant risk.