Skip to main content
Blog

How You Can Achieve HIPAA IT Compliance by Working With an MSP

By July 26, 2020No Comments6 min read
HIPAA IT Compliance Security

Security is the most important thing for hospitals. They need to make sure that the PHI records are secure. Hospitals need to focus on avoiding data breaches and serving patients. According to a report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, companies lose billions of dollars every year due to data breaches. More than 9 million PHI records were stolen in the last year. Thus, healthcare providers need to ensure that they are taking all the precautions. Attackers are using advanced attacks for stealing patient’s data. More than 1000 HIPPA complaints are filed every month. You can achieve HIPAA compliance by working with an MPS. Experienced MSPs like Bleuwire will ensure that you are HIPAA compliant. In this article, we are going to tell how your MSP can help you in protecting your data.

  1. They will create a PHI inventory

Your provider will first discover every type of PHI that you possess. They will document the lifecycle of this data. Your provider will help you in creating your PHI inventory. They will check the lifecycle of each document in this process. Also, you need to consider all the existing systems that you are using to collect your data. Your stakeholders should talk with the MSP. It is important to know about the stakeholders that have access to PHI. You should tell about your PHI lifecycle to your provider. Also, they might interview your employees about the PHI lifecycle. They will find out where you are storing your data. Some hospitals are still storing data in the on-site facilities. However, many hospitals are now using a cloud platform for storing this data.

This will help your provider in identifying security risks. They will fix these security risks before any data leaks occur. This will help you in improving the efficiency of your operations. You should also use document management solutions. These solutions will ensure that you are strictly following the HIPAA regulation.

  1. They will evaluate your security policies

Your provider will also evaluate your data security policy. Every hospital has its own data security policy. They will first identify employees who have access to your critical data. Make sure that only important employees can access PHI data. You might need to find a privacy officer for your company. Your provider will also help you in developing HIPAA security policies. They will help you in implementing these security policies. Most hospitals have a small IT team. Thus, they can’t implement these security solutions on their own.

  1. They will conduct a risk analysis

You need to take a realistic look at the potential damages of not following HIPAA compliance. Your provider will do an in-depth evaluation of your data assets. If you are missing any important things, then they will tell you about it. For example, you need to implement control access for physical safeguarding your data assets. Experienced MSPs like Bleuwire can regularly monitor your software and hardware that contains PHI. They will use remote monitoring systems for protecting your systems.

You also need to properly dispose of your equipment after their lifecycle is over. All the security precautions will go to waste if someone gets access to your data when you are disposing of your hardware. You also need to create a policy of proper workstation usage. Your provider will help you in establishing many security protocols for protecting your data. They will give some important tips that will help you in protecting your PHI. For example, you should lock your workstations when you are not using them. Also, you need to make sure that the public can’t directly view your monitor screens.

  1. They will plan for contingencies

Your provider will first check what assets you need to protect. After that, they will do risk analysis and create a security plan for your hospital. These things will protect you when a dire situation arises. The biggest challenge that hospitals are facing right now is the use of mobile phones. Many workers are using their mobile phones in the workplace. The usage of mobile phones is still a big issue for hospitals. Your provider will help you in conducting regular internal audits. This will help you in reviewing your operations. Also, it will help you in identifying security violations. You should carefully document these audits as they are going to be useful in OCR review.

  1. They will help you in creating a Disaster Recovery Plan

Experienced MSPs like Bleuwire will also help you in creating a disaster recovery plan. This plan will ensure that you can recover from disasters like data and security breaches. They will help you in quickly recovering your systems. This plan will contain all the information you need. Thus, you won’t feel lost during a disaster. Your provider will also help you during the disaster. They will remotely guide your team and help you in bringing your systems back. Your provider will help you in maintaining data redundancy. This will ensure that you can recover your data in case of a data breach. However, you should also ensure that you are working with a HIPAA compliant IT provider.

If your provider is not HIPAA compliant, then they can get in trouble. Make sure that they have experience of working with hospitals. You should create an incident response team that will help you in dealing with data breaches. Make sure that they understand their roles and responsibilities. Your incident response team and MSP will help you in executing your Disaster Recovery plan.

Conclusion

The Healthcare industry is currently heavily regulated by governments. You need to ensure that your PHI records are secure. Attackers are constantly trying to steal this information. Hospitals that don’t have an in-house IT security team should consider working with an MSP. Experienced MSPs like Bleuwire will ensure that you are following all the security regulations. This will help you in avoiding unnecessary fines and penalties. You can also hire a virtual CIO or vCIO. Your vCIO will help you in building a technology roadmap for your hospital. They will make sure that you are meeting the regulatory requirements. This will remove the burden from your in-house IT department. If you need more information regarding HIPAA compliance, then you can contact Bleuwire.

Contact us today to learn about Bleuwire™  services and solutions in how we can help your business.