HIPAA Protection
Given all of the legislation and the large number of mobile devices on the market and in our businesses today, it has become difficult for physician offices and their business associates to manage all of the devices and provide adequate HIPAA protection to prevent a privacy breach.
Everything from a simple USB flash drive to an electronic tablet or even a camera phone has become potential sources of a PHI breach. It is important that you craft a mobile device policy that allows you to reasonably meet all of the rules. Having this policy in place and administered will allow you to rest assured that you have done the due diligence and what is required by law.
Mobile devices collect and contain PHI such as a patient’s name and phone number or a picture of a patient’s wound while they were in the office for a routine visit. Are you prepared for a situation as simple as a member of your staff answering a call on their cell phone? Who has access to this information? Prevent a HIPAA violation!
