Medical transcription is the undertaking of documenting the patient-physician meeting in depth. Patient records are a critical component of healthcare. Patient transcripts play a crucial function in the following:
- Record of symptoms, diagnoses and treatment
- Record of pre-existing health conditions
- Details of Allergies and current medication
- Developments of treatment
- Foundation for referrals
- Statutory specification
- Proof in case of legal action
- Foundation for coding and billing
Contracting out medical transcription has been found to be one of the most competent, effectual and cost-effective means for making patient reports. Time and again accent has been placed on the magnitude of ensuring confidentiality of confidential patient details. And the outsourced medical transcription vendor has an enormous role in safeguarding patient information, as medical transcription is the process of making these reports. The exercise of online transcription also involves transmission of this information back and forth during the transcription process this adds to the requirement for rigorous security precautions.
HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) was initiated to safeguard private patient details. More recently HITECH has come into force and has expanded the worries of HIPAA and enhanced the clout of HIPAA to put into effect measures and parameters for shielding of private patient data.
Why is confidentiality of secure patient data, and crucial element of medical transcription?
The origin of protecting patient details occurs from the revered patient-healthcare professional association. A patient-health professional relationship is principal to the practice of medicine and is fundamental for the facilitating of quality health management. The caliber of patient-physician association is crucial to both parties. The better the association in terms of mutual respect, knowledge, trust, shared values and viewpoint about diseases & life, the better the amount of data, making better quality of diagnosis and quality of care.
In reality the security of the details regarding the patient as offered to the health professional/health facility is one of the elements of the premises for the medical code of ethics
As healthcare transcription is a valuable connection in the cycle for offering quality medical care, it is critical that the online transcription vendor comprehends and acknowledges the necessity for HIPAA compliance and has measures in place to make sure of confidentiality. Confidentiality of patient records is not only mandatory by law, but also the moral obligation of the medical transcription company.
What are precautions to be taken by the online transcription service provider to protect private patient details?
The undertaking of outsourcing online transcription to a medical transcription vendor would involve:
- Uploading audio records (narration of patient-health professional meeting) to the server
- Conveyance of audio records
- Retrieving the audio records
- Transcribing the dictation files
- Conveyance of the finished records
- Downloading the finished transcripts by the health facility.
Allowing for the process engaged in HIPAA compliance of patient details is pertinent at all phases:
When information is at rest: This would be safety of data when it is collected prior to conveyance to the medical transcription company and when the finished transcripts are accumulated before delivering back to the health facility.
When information is in motion: This would include safety of data during transferring audio files, transmission of audio files, downloading audio files and relaying of transcribed records
When information is in use: This would involve safety of data when the audio files are being transcribed.
When patient details is disposed: This would concern securely disposing of defunct files in such a way to make sure that they are absolutely destroyed and cannot be accessed by unauthorized entities.
TransDyne, a leader in the sub contracting online transcription industry realizes the necessity for maintaining HIPAA compliance of patient details and has provisions in place to ensure HIPAA / HITECH compliance.
How does TransDyne ensure HIPAA/HITECH compliance?
Utilization of the right information technology: The employing of 128-bit data encryption, multi-tiered application architecture, design level confidentiality safeguards, firewall protected networks, sterilized e-mail servers, denial of access procedures and multi-modal alerts safeguards data when it is at rest and when patient details is in motion.
Use of processes: Employing of procedures like company owned & managed facilities, not engaging any sub-contractors, employing manned confidentiality at the entry/exit points, round-the-clock video surveillance and the lack of removable storage media protect the patient details in use. The other measures taken for making sure of HIPAA compliance of patient details in use are limiting the access to the application by User ID and an encrypted password. Access to files is limited based on the user's function. Once a user is logged in, if no activity is performed for certain time, the user is automatically logged out of the system. This ensures that there is complete HIPAA compliance of information when it is in use.
Educating manpower: Educating teams on the significance and process s for HIPAA/HITECH compliance gives them a professional outlook. Having them give a commitment in writing further make certain of HIPAA/HITECH compliance. This protect s the patient details in all levels.
TransDyne believes in sustaining security criteria that not only fulfill HIPAA/HITECH criteria, but also surpass them. TransDyne also delivers online transcription services with accuracy levels of above 99%, assured turnaround time of 24 hours with an choice of 4-12 hour delivery time for STAT reports at a very cost-effective rate, using technology that delivers various benefits while still being effortless to use!
To avail HIPAA compliant healthcare transcription services from TransDyne, click here.
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