Staying HIPAA compliant doesn’t have to be a pain. It should always be top of mind, but you shouldn’t always be worried about it. Your tech stack can do a lot of the heavy lifting to keep your ePHI secure.
What makes an EMR HIPAA compliant?
Just like other safeguards you’ll need to put in place, like your compliance officer, training your staff, and creating risk management policies, your EMR software will need to have some features built in to ensure ePHI stays secure. These features are described under the technical safeguards of the HIPAA security rule, and they’re what your EMR will need to stay HIPAA compliant.
There are no specific technologies or software solutions that you must adopt to remain compliant. That being said, whichever solution you choose must fit the needs of your practice. It’s up to your company to make sure that the software is flexible and scalable enough to keep all ePHI secure.
Access controls
Access controls limit who can login and view ePHI on your EMR. EMR software is required to designate unique usernames for every person who will have to access the software. There are even options that have role-based access, which can help your team designate different access levels across staff so they can only view the minimum necessary information as spelled out by HIPAA. Data should also be encrypted where it’s hosted so that unauthorized users can’t view ePHI in case of a breach.
Audit controls
Audit controls track activity in your EMR software. The HIPAA security rule does not have specific technical safeguards for the kind of data tracked. That decision is left up to compliance teams and practices, but you must be able to prevent, detect, contain, and correct security violations. EMR software can provide audit logs, access reports, and/or security incident reports to stay compliant.
Integrity controls
Integrity controls prevent unauthorized changes to or deletion of ePHI. EMR software can require e-signatures when making changes to patient charts, which will be tracked to the unique username. It can also use checksum verification, which automatically verifies the “digital fingerprint” of the ePHI and issues an alert if there have been any changes made to it.
Authentication controls
Authentication controls ensure that who is accessing your data is allowed to. EMR software can use any number of authentication methods, including unique passwords, smart cards/tokens/badges, or even biometrics like fingerprints.
Transmission controls
Transmission controls monitor where and how ePHI is sent. There are two key factors that must be addressed here: integrity controls and encryption. Just like an EMR system must monitor the integrity of the ePHI in its system, ePHI must be protected against change or deletion when it’s sent over chat, email, or any other function. Encryption, on the other hand, scrambles the data contained in ePHI when it’s sent and only unscrambles it when an authorized user opens it. This protects ePHI from being accessed or stolen when it’s sent.
Your EMR supports other compliance efforts
Healthcare organizations are major targets for hacking schemes because they have so much private personal data in their systems. As such, the EMR you choose won’t be the only safeguards you need to put in place to remain compliant.
Administrative safeguards help reduce risk through policies, procedures, and staffing. Your compliance officer will need to be fully involved in your operations and you’ll need to train staff to be compliant with their use of ePHI. Risk analysis and management procedures will also need to be in place to help prevent any data breaches, but also to correct any that may occur.
Physical safeguards keep the workspaces and devices staff use HIPAA compliant. These might include role-based access to locked rooms or computers where ePHI is kept, inventory tracking, and device/media controls that determine where, when, and how staff access ePHI.
Proposed changes to the HIPAA security rule
In late 2024, some changes to the security rule were proposed that would make cybersecurity around ePHI stronger. These new restrictions will require individual practices to strengthen their technical safeguards and do extra reporting to regulatory agencies. Some of the new technical safeguard requirements would include:
- Mandatory encryption for data-at-rest and data-in-transit
- Required multi-factor authentication (MFA) with limited exception
- Consistent system configurations and anti-malware solutions
- Disabling network ports
- Network segmentation
Adopting a secure EMR software now can help you get ahead of at least some of these changes. Sunwave Health’s platform is designed with HIPAA compliance at its core, hosted securely, ensuring your data is protected every step of the way.
Data security is non-negotiable
And Sunwave makes it easy to stay secure. Our EMR seamlessly works with our CRM, RCM, and patient engagement modules so your teams get the information they need all in one place.
- Private in-app messaging keeps your teams connected without having to leave the platform
- Role-based access means staff only see the minimum necessary information
- ePHI stays encrypted at rest and in transit
- Unique usernames and login information are assigned to all users
- Audits can be conducted on nearly any dataset
Plus, you’ll have support from the Sunwave team to make sure your system is exactly what you need to keep all your data secure. Schedule a demo online or call us at 561.576.6037 today.