3 Reasons to be HIPAA Compliant Across Digital Experiences

Don't miss out on this valuable opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge and best practices from industry experts about healthcare data security. The recording contains valuable information focused on helping companies achieve data security in healthcare for PHI across all digital experiences. Register now and take the first step towards building trust and credibility with your audience through HIPAA compliance.

Healthcare entities in the U.S. face intense scrutiny around the importance of HIPAA compliance, particularly when it comes to healthcare data security. Compliance requires that all companies safeguard protected health information (PHI) and personally identifiable information (PII), often at the expense of delivering seamless interactive patient journeys.

In December 2022, HIPAA issued a bulletin emphasizing the risk of fines for companies failing to comply with its regulations. Almost immediately, health organizations felt the ramifications of enforcement. Banner Health, for example, reached a settlement of $1.25 million early in 2023, due to a security data breach that resulted in the unauthorized disclosure of PHI belonging to its consumers.

It's more critical than ever to take the necessary precautions to protect sensitive patient data and achieve full compliance around healthcare data security. In this webinar, HIPAA expert and digital leader, Mike Porter of Perficient, discusses how to achieve privacy and compliance and avoid fines, while delivering exceptional customer experiences. Below, we provide an overview of what Porter reviews in this important 30-minute webinar.

HIPAA Policies Around Healthcare Data Security

HIPAA sets strict standards for PHI for healthcare organizations for digital settings like clinic portals where patients may seek out or provide information. While compliance with data security in healthcare is typically associated with institutions like hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies, HIPAA applies to any entity using online tracking technologies. This includes marketing agencies and consumer platforms like Facebook.

Porter, a thought leader on the topic of aligning digital technologies to specific HIPAA needs, addresses the far-reaching impact of HIPAA on healthcare information security. He emphasizes the importance of securing patient data at every stage of its lifecycle to maintain compliance. This involves:

• Implementing robust access controls to limit who can view and modify PHI
• Encrypting data both at rest and in transit to prevent unauthorized access
• Ensuring secure processes for data storage, transfer, and disposal of PHI
• Maintaining confidentiality around PHN disclosures

Most hospitals send patient data to third parties and leak visitor data. They use website tracking code that poses a security risk by transmitting data to these third parties. They fail to understand the ongoing potential for data breaches, which puts sensitive PHI at risk of exposure.

By understanding the key aspects of how HIPAA impacts healthcare data security, all businesses – whether in the healthcare sector or not – will be better prepared to safeguard sensitive patient information, particularly when it comes to online tracking technologies.

The Basics of Healthcare Information Security

Protecting sensitive patient data is not always easy. One of the biggest challenges is the sheer amount of data that healthcare organizations collect and store. From medical records to billing information, PHI is constantly moving to and from one location to another.

To keep patient information safe, Porter emphasizes the importance of having strong access controls in place and making sure only authorized individuals can view and modify PHI. He also stresses the need for encryption, both when data is at rest and when it's being transmitted.

When it comes to healthcare information security, it’s important to have secure processes for storing, transferring, and ultimately disposing of PHI. Porter dives into the specifics of what this looks like in practice. Viewers come away with actionable steps that help mitigate those risks associated with data security in healthcare.

The Implications of Online Tracking Technologies

Healthcare organizations often rely on websites and online platforms to connect with patients and promote their services. But common online tracking technologies can inadvertently lead to HIPAA violations if not implemented correctly. Porter reviews important HHS guidelines about the use of online tracking technologies among healthcare organizations.

Tools like web analytics platforms, social media trackers, and advertising pixels collect a wealth of data about website visitors, including:

• IP addresses
• Pages visited
• Appointments scheduled
• Medications or conditions searched for

This data must be properly secured and anonymized, or it could constitute a breach of PHI under HIPAA. Porter shares real-world examples of how healthcare organizations have unknowingly violated HIPAA through their use of online tracking tools.

3 Main Reasons to Be HIPAA Compliant

While the risks of exposing PHI via non-authenticated websites or technology are inherently alarming, Porter provides a blueprint for how to navigate the fraught world of online tracking in a HIPAA-friendly way.

He also delves into detail about three crucial reasons why every organization handling PHI must prioritize HIPAA compliance which include:

1. It’s the best way to safeguard sensitive patient data.
2. It helps you avoid costly penalties and reputational damage.
3. It enables security without sacrificing digital experiences.

Having the right technology partners in place makes all the difference when it comes to healthcare information security. For healthcare organizations who need to deliver the world-class digital experiences that people expect while ensuring HIPAA compliance, Coveo offers a secure-by-design dedicated HIPAA cloud platform.

Juanita Olguin, Coveo’s Senior Director of Marketing, explains the platform’s robust security features which include:

• Encryption of data at rest and in transit
• Stringent access controls restricting PHI visibility
• Comprehensive audit logging
• Bi-annual HIPAA Audits
• Indexing and applying security models to content
• Maintaining existing access controls on all documents to prevent unauthorized PHI exposure.

Crucially, the Coveo’s dedicated HIPAA cloud platform enables secure, personalized digital experiences – so healthcare organizations and the advertisers, marketers, and platforms that serve them – don’t have to sacrifice experience for compliance.

Creating a HIPAA Compliant Digital Journey

The entire digital user journey matters for HIPAA compliance, but it's not a linear path. Users often jump between unknown phases where they're not logged in and engage with authenticated member/patient experiences.

At any stage, they're seeking information, and you don't want their data compromised. You need to protect users' personal health information across this entire cycle, ensuring you maintain HIPAA compliance with government regulations. Adopting a HIPAA-compliant platform safeguards PHI throughout multi-faceted digital healthcare journeys.