The COVID-19 pandemic will continue to drive digital transformation in healthcare. With the adoption of remote working, virtual team collaboration, cloud computing, increased access to telemedicine, and a strong focus on patient engagement, the global healthcare system continues to see rapid technology transformation.

Sensitive health information needs to be protected

In the wake of the pandemic, healthcare providers are attempting to quickly respond to patient needs via telehealth, so potential security concerns and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance maintenance may have taken a backseat. Now, the healthcare industry must refocus and establish data security best practices that maintain HIPAA compliance while providing an engaging and customized patient experience. 

Text messages often reside on people’s devices and device backups indefinitely. This might be fine for everyday text messages with friends, but it presents a challenge for messages containing personal health information (PHI).

HIPAA's goal was to improve medical billing for the government by requiring electronic record keeping and reimbursements. The improvement in patient privacy and patient information security were downstream effects of that initiative. 

HIPAA compliant messaging means that the messaging containing patient information, care instructions, or any other relevant patient information must be both secure and encrypted. One of the main benefits of HIPAA compliant messaging is seen through better patient outcomes. Mobile secure text messaging may help to improve communication among providers, leading to more efficient care coordination.

When hospitals and clinics introduce HIPAA compliant messaging into their organization, they must maintain appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards for protecting PHI. To that end, organizations must take steps to:

• Ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of all protected health information
• Protect against any reasonably anticipated threats or hazards to the security or integrity of this information
• Protect against any reasonably anticipated uses or disclosures of patient information
• Ensure compliance by users of the information

The G2 on HIPAA compliance

Based on G2 review data, healthcare providers are experiencing the benefits of HIPAA compliant messaging tools, such as ease of communication and collaboration with patients and coworkers which leads to better health outcomes. 

G2 data highlights heavy fluctuation in traffic to the HIPAA Compliant Messaging category throughout 2021. 

The peaks and lulls in HIPAA compliant messaging software seem to correspond with the seasonal shifts (winter months in the northern hemisphere), access to vaccines (more people had the ability to get vaccinated in early 2021 and throughout the summer), and the development of new SARS (COVID) variants, such as the Delta variant which was first detected in March 2021 and started to spread over the summer as people were socializing more. 

Healthcare providers needed to invest in ways to communicate with patients regarding their health and with other practitioners to allow for better collaboration surrounding the virus.  

What is a HIPAA compliant cloud drive?

Technically, there is no such thing as a HIPAA compliant cloud drive as no cloud server can be truly HIPAA compliant. HIPAA compliance depends on the actions of the people. Even if appropriate security is used to secure data in the cloud, HIPAA could be violated if a healthcare organization does not implement appropriate access controls.  

A HIPAA compliant cloud drive will incorporate the necessary controls to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electronically protected health information is safeguarded. HIPAA compliant cloud tools offer many benefits including cost savings, remote file sharing, custom applications, and expanded storage.

Data sharing requirements between healthcare providers and the challenges of keeping PHI private are a burden for the industry. And because of its very nature, healthcare will continue to be a target for cybercriminals.

Final thoughts

Cybersecurity will continue to be a critical concern for healthcare organizations and we can expect to see stronger security solutions, thanks to our experiences. Data security will continue to be a priority as we adapt throughout the pandemic and beyond. New methods of working, policies, priorities, and technologies will emerge under the new hybrid healthcare and telemedicine scenarios we have adopted. 

Through a robust and integrated approach to data governance, the healthcare industry can continue to meet with HIPAA data regulation, reduce threats, and build trust between patients, practitioners, and healthcare organizations.