If you have always wanted to know how HIPAA compliant medical transcription service benefits large and small clinics, you’ll get the answer to your question right here. The full form of HIPAA is Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This act was brought into being in 1996 and makes it mandatory for health plans and healthcare providers to protect healthcare information HIPAA Solution, failing which a penalty would be imposed. The penalty can be as easy as a fine or as bad as a period of imprisonment.
HIPAA Compliant Medical Transcription Service – No Penalties
Clinics, whatever their size may be, are often faced with a continuous and sometimes even excess inflow of patients who have to be provided with expert medical care. In such a situation, it becomes difficult to give the right amount of dedication to both patient care and back office tasks. Medical transcription outsourcing would help to ensure not just error-free transcriptions but also a secure and confidential transcription process with full adherence to HIPAA guidelines and therefore no danger of penalties. This is the most important benefit. Yet another benefit is that it would improve operational efficiency. Thirdly, it would help clinics such as yours to secure the trust of patients and therefore improve patient relations. This in turn would enhance the reputation of your clinic.
Strict Measures Adopted for Compliance
The benefits would become all the more clear when you understand the measures adopted by medical transcription service providers for HIPAA compliance:
- Password protection of computers and storage lockers
- All staff in the company are compulsorily required to sign an agreement of non-disclosure and confidentiality
- Encryption helps to prevent unauthorized tampering or viewing
- Virus definitions are regularly updated
- Antivirus software and firewalls are available on all the computers
- Staff are provided training in maintaining confidentiality and security
- Staff are checked and searched when they enter the office premises and also when they leave
- Staff are not allowed to bring inside or take out of the office any electronic devices, handwritten documents, or floppies
- Staff are up-to-date on any changes in or additions to existing HIPAA guidelines
- Systems are evaluated periodically to ensure that they satisfy the necessary security requirements
Find a Reliable Company
That HIPAA compliant medical transcription service indeed benefits large and small clinics has been made clear through this article. However, keep in mind that it is important to find a suitable service provider with a scar-free reputation and which is known for sure to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act guidelines. Other factors you should consider are accuracy levels, pricing, and turnaround. Only when you outsource to the right company would you be able to reap the full extent of benefits.