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 protect private patient details. In the recent past HITECH has come into force and has expanded the worries of HIPAA and increased the powers of HIPAA to put into effect precautions and parameters for shielding of confidential patient data.
Why is security of private patient details, and crucial part of healthcare transcription?
The origin of safeguarding patient data comes up from the sacrosanct patient-healthcare professional connection. A patient-physician relationship is central to the practice of medicine and is fundamental for the facilitating of superb health management. The standard of patient-physician connection is crucial to both parties. The better the relationship in terms of mutual respect, knowledge, trust, shared values and thinking about diseases & life, the better the amount of data, improving quality of diagnosis and quality of care.
In reality the confidentiality of the data pertaining the patient as given to the healthcare professional/healthcare facility is one of the parts of the foundation for the medical code of ethics
As medical transcription is a vital link in the sequence for delivering excellent health management, it is crucial that the medical transcription service provider understands and accepts the requirement for security and has provisions in place to ensure HIPAA compliance. HIPAA compliance of patient reports is not only compulsory by law, but also the moral responsibility of the transcription vendor.
What are measures to be taken by the healthcare transcription company to safeguard confidential patient details?
The exercise of contracting out healthcare transcription to an online transcription service provider would involve:
- Transferring audio files (narration of patient-physician encounter) to the server
- Relaying of audio records
- Retrieving the audio records
- Transcribing the audio records
- Transmission of the completed reports
- Retrieving the transcribed records by the healthcare practice.
Bearing in mind the procedure occupied in security of patient details is relevant at all levels:
When data is at rest: This would be safekeeping of patient details when it is stored prior to relaying to the medical transcription vendor and when the transcribed reports are stored before delivering back to the healthcare practice.
When information is in motion: This would include security of patient details during transferring dictation files, conveyance of audio files, downloading dictation files and transmission of transcribed records
When patient details are in use: This would concern safety of data when the audio files are being transcribed.
When data is disposed: This would pertain to safely disposing of defunct files in such a way to ensure that they are completely destroyed and cannot be accessed by unauthorized entities.
TransDyne, a leader in the sub contracting online transcription industry realizes the requirement for maintaining security of patient data and has precautions in place to make certain of HIPAA / HITECH compliance.
How does TransDyne make certain of HIPAA/HITECH compliance?
Utilization of the correct software and tools: The utilization of 128-bit data encryption, multi-tiered application architecture, design level security 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 information is in motion.
Utilization of processes: Utilization of processes like company owned & managed facilities, not engaging any sub-contractors, employing manned security at the entry/exit points, round-the-clock video surveillance and the lack of removable storage media secure the patient details in use. The other precautions taken for making certain of security of information 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 role. Once a user is logged in, if no activity is performed for certain time, the user is automatically logged out of the system. This makes sure that there is complete confidentiality of information when it is in use.
Educating teams: Educating people on the magnitude and procedure 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 safeguards the information in all levels.
TransDyne believes in maintaining HIPAA compliance parameters that not only satisfy HIPAA/HITECH criteria, but also go beyond them. TransDyne also provides online transcription services with correctness levels of above 99%, promised turnaround time of 24 hours with an option of 4-12 hour turnaround time for STAT reports at a very economical price, utilizing software and tools that provides numerous advantages while still being effortless to operate!
To avail secure medical transcription services from TransDyne, click here.
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