There are over 187,043 dental offices in the U.S. that all house sensitive patient information. In order to ensure that patient information was kept safe and secure, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act’s (HIPAA) privacy and security rules were put into place.
As technology usage increases, so does the need for dental offices to upgrade their technology to avoid a cyberattack. However, dental practices today face a number of challenges when it comes to their old IT infrastructure. One of the most pressing issues is whether or not their current systems are HIPAA compliant.
Here we will explore how dental practices can ensure they are meeting HIPAA compliance standards and protect patients’s confidential information.
Importance of Technology in the Dental Field
Technology is extremely important to the dental field. It helps practitioners keep track of their patients’ records, diagnose problems, and plan treatments. Technology also allows dental practices to communicate with other practitioners and share information about patients. It even allows for more sophisticated treatment that was not possible to perform in the past.
Just as new dental procedures update what practitioners can do, technology in dental operations is also crucial to update. Older technology in the dental field might not have all the protections that new technology does, meaning some of your patient information might not be as safe as it could be and is susceptible to cyberattacks.
HIPAA Is Crucial In These Dental Processes
Emails, patient files, addresses, social security numbers, insurance information—all of these are used daily in dental operations and are protected health information under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
HIPAA is crucial in dental processes when it comes to the privacy and security of patient data. Dental practices must ensure that their IT systems are up to date and have the necessary protections in place in order to meet HIPAA compliance standards.
Maintaining a HIPAA-compliant dental IT infrastructure is foundational to every dental practice. This will ensure that patient data is protected and that the practice is meeting all of the necessary compliance expectations, protecting your practice from cyberattacks or litigation.
How Can Dentists Ensure HIPAA Compliance?
Dental practices need to be aware of the importance of HIPAA compliance and take steps to ensure that their IT infrastructure is up to date. Here are a few key areas to focus on:
Update Dental IT
One of the best ways to ensure HIPAA compliance is to regularly update your dental IT systems. This will help to ensure that your systems have the latest security features. Keep an eye out for new updates from your software providers and make sure to implement them as soon as possible.
Access Control
Internal employees are responsible for 43% of accidental company data leaks. To counter this issue, dental practices need to limit access to only those who need it. A rigid process for granting someone access should also be in place to avoid potential data leaks and breaches.
Implement Cybersecurity Measures
Data breaches can be costly—not just in terms of the money spent on recovery, but also in terms of the damage to the reputation of the dental practice. One of the highest and most costly data breaches in any sector is the healthcare industry at $380 per record. The healthcare industry has maintained this expensive cost for seven years in a row.
In order to avoid a data breach, dental practices must have robust cybersecurity protocols in place.
Use Encryption
Encryption is one of the most effective ways to protect data. When data is encrypted, it is turned into a code that can only be decrypted by those with the proper key, which makes it much more difficult for hackers to access data.
Dental practices should encrypt all patient data—both in transit and at rest—to protect patient information and ensure that the practice is HIPAA compliant.
Regular Data Backup and Recovery
In the event of a data breach, having a regular backup and recovery plan in place will ensure that patient data can be recovered quickly and efficiently. If data were to get lost, it would take hours and hours to recover what has been lost and also lead to decreased productivity and profits.
By taking these steps, dental practices can ensure that their dental infrastructure is compliant with HIPAA standards.
Policies and Procedures
The backbone of HIPAA compliance lies within the IT policies and procedures used by dental practices. Having a codified and written rulebook to follow every day helps staff navigate compliance with confidence. Exceptional security measures are also an essential tool for dental offices that proactively stay HIPAA compliant.
Ensure Your Old Dental IT is HIPAA Compliant with Solutions in Data
As your dental practice grows, so, too, does the need for a more robust and secure IT infrastructure. When it comes to ensuring that your older dental IT is HIPAA compliant, working with a provider like Solutions in Data can give you the peace of mind that your data is safe and secure.
Schedule a consultation today to learn more about our services.
