HIPAA Compliance and Document Management Systems: Access Control Requirements

If you manage a healthcare facility then you know how important it is to be in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, more commonly known as “HIPAA.” The act was created to protect the privacy of patients in healthcare settings and it governs the ways in which patient information must be handled. Implementing a Document Management System can help your healthcare facility stay in compliance, but not all DMS software is necessarily HIPAA-compliant. If you are considering investing in a DMS, there are a number of factors that you should consider before choosing a vendor.

HIPPA-Compliant Software Considerations
When it comes to HIPAA compliance, there are 3 features that your DMS must include in order to qualify: Access control, physical safeguards, and administrative safeguards. In today’s blog, learn more about the access control measure that your system must include. And don’t forget to check back next week to learn more about the physical safeguards that your system must have in place!

Access Control
Your DMS must include a number of access control measures that will prevent unauthorized users from accessing confidential patient information. According to HIPAA guidelines, all DMS must include the following:

• Identity validation. Your software must require users to enter a unique identifier before they are able to access any information within the system. Whether the identifier consists of a password, PIN, or facial recognition, this is a crucial consideration for any DMS that will be used in a healthcare application.
• Automatic signoff. To prevent nefarious users from logging in using a previous user’s credentials, your DMS must automatically signoff after a specified amount of inactivity.
• Encryption. Whether data will be transmitted via a public or private network, HIPPA regulations require that your DMS encrypts data while in transit and at rest. For the highest level of data security, it is wise to invest in a system that includes at least 256-bit encryption.

Contact Centric Business Systems today
Want to learn more about how Centric Business Systems can help your organization begin the transition to a paperless environment? Contact our experts today. Whether you require upgraded equipment or an in-depth analysis of your workflow, we have the expertise needed to maximize your systems and help you make the most of our technology. Give us a call at 877-902-3301, send us an email at info@centricbiz.com, or fill out our contact form to learn more about how we can help your organization run better.
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