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 embarked on to protect confidential patient data. In the recent past HITECH has come into force and has expanded the concerns of HIPAA and increased the powers of HIPAA to enforce precautions and standards for safeguarding of confidential patient details.
The origin of protecting patient data comes up from the revered patient-healthcare professional relationship. A patient-healthcare professional relationship is principal to the practice of medicine and is fundamental for the facilitating of quality health management. The quality of patient-health professional relationship 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 correctness of diagnosis and standard of care.
In fact the HIPAA compliance of the information concerning the patient as given to the physician/healthcare practice is one of the components of the basis for the medical code of ethics
As online transcription is an important conduit in the sequence for providing superb medical care, it is crucial that the medical transcription company realizes and accepts the need for confidentiality and has provisions in place to make sure of confidentiality. Confidentiality of patient records is not only mandatory by law, but also the moral responsibility of the medical transcription company.
What are measures to be taken by the online transcription service provider to protect private patient details?
The process of contracting out medical transcription to a medical transcription vendor would involve:
- Transferring dictation files (narration of patient-physician encounter) to the server
- Transmission of dictation files
- Downloading the dictation files
- Transcribing the audio files
- Transmission of the completed transcripts
- Retrieving the completed reports by the healthcare practice.
Considering the procedure occupied in confidentiality of information is applicable at all stages:
When data is at rest: This would be security of patient details when it is collected prior to relaying to the online transcription company and when the finished transcripts are stored before delivering back to the healthcare practice.
When patient details is in motion: This would comprise security of information during transferring audio files, conveyance of audio records, retrieving audio records and conveyance of completed reports
When information is in use: This would concern security of information when the dictation files are being transcribed.
When patient details are disposed: This would pertain to safely disposing of defunct files in such a way to make sure that they are completely destroyed and cannot be accessed by unauthorized entities.
TransDyne, a leader in the contracting out healthcare transcription industry comprehends the necessity for maintaining security of patient data and has provisions in place to make certain of HIPAA / HITECH compliance.
How does TransDyne ensure HIPAA/HITECH compliance?
Employing of the optimum software and tools: The use 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 information when it is at rest and when data is in motion.
Employing of practices: Utilization 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 safeguard the information in use. The other precautions taken for ensuring confidentiality 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 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 security of data when it is in use.
Educating teams: Educating manpower on the significance and process s for HIPAA/HITECH compliance gives them a professional outlook. Having them give a commitment in writing further ensure HIPAA/HITECH compliance. This secures the data in all phases.
TransDyne believes in maintaining confidentiality criteria that not only fulfill HIPAA/HITECH standards, but also go beyond them. TransDyne also delivers medical transcription services with correctness levels of above 99%, guaranteed delivery time of 24 hours with an choice of 4-12 hour delivery time for STAT reports at a very economical charge, using software and tools that offers various benefits while still being easy to operate!
To avail confidential healthcare transcription services from TransDyne, click here.
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