How Social Media Platforms Have Increased the Burden of Compliance to HIPAA Regulations

by Felicien | Jun 14, 2018 | Education

With the increase in social media popularity, professionals in the healthcare industry are seeing new and alarming trends. Healthcare workers often post about their workday on sites like Facebook. They may even post photos of their friends at work. We’ve all seen photos of a group of friends at a hospital or clinic goofing around.

Though everyone enjoys posting about their daily life at work, for the healthcare industry, this has become a growing problem when it comes to HIPAA compliance. In fact, the issues have escalated to where it’s a virtual minefield of compliance violations that could blow up at any moment.
HIPAA violation fines can be huge, so why aren’t employees better trained in what is and what is not acceptable?
The company Facebook page
Another area of potential compliance issues is those company Twitter and Facebook pages. Most businesses including healthcare, post daily to their social media accounts. This can be a great way to connect with your customers/patients. Social media is a unique place to interact on a personal level with people. For the healthcare industry, there are a number of restrictions about what you can share.
Some of these regulations are common sense. If you just got out of surgery, then you probably don’t want anyone posting your photo on Facebook. We should all know how important patient security is. From health plans and patient medical records to hospitals and doctors, we can’t be too careful.
Data breaches in hospitals are increasing at an alarming rate. We certainly don’t want to make it any easier for cyber thieves to break in and steal our health information.
Protecting PHI
It is never acceptable to post any type of info that is considered Protected Health Information (PHI). This includes a patient’s name, address, date of birth, social security number, financial information, photos—if something you post can in any way identify one of your patients, then it’s a violation of HIPPA. If the patient or a family member see that posted on social media, they can file a complaint and your organization may have to pay hefty fines.
PHI includes all demographic information that might, in any way, identify one of your patients. According to the HIPAA Privacy/Security Rules, you can’t use this PHI in your marketing campaigns or on social media platforms. Every precaution must be taken to avoid revealing the identity of a patient.
What can you post on social media?
Now that we know what you can’t post on social media, what types of info are safe to post? Every business, including healthcare, has a right to use social media to improve their rankings and interact with people in general. It would not be fair to take that away from healthcare organizations. Having a social media presence has become a basic human right for every company. It’s a proven way to attract new business and promote your brand.
At the end of the day, the hospital down the street is just another business trying to survive in a complex global marketplace. Healthcare professionals often use social media platforms to expand their professional network. This has become a common practice. As our world moves more into interacting on the internet, we must all know the rules to avoid making costly mistakes.
So let’s take a look at some of the information you can post on social media—things that will not get you in trouble with HIPAA:

Upcoming events patients might find interesting
Profiles of staff members
Useful health tips
Exciting new research related to your field
Discounts and special offers on services
Awards and honors your organization has received

You can also advertise any of your services as long as you do not include any protected health information. Remember that PHI includes photos of patients, so be careful if you and your staff are taking pictures in the lobby. Make sure there are no patients lingering in the background before you snap that photo.
HIPAA Policies and Procedures
The responsibility for using guidance concerning HIPAA most often falls to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Each year, this organization issues the standards and policies for compliance. They work to ensure that all healthcare organizations know and understand HIPAA regulations. In addition, they have special guidance on how health care professionals can safely use social media in their day-to-day activities.
These standards should be well-known to all the principles in your organization, but the employees must also be aware. Most organizations post the special policies regarding HIPAA standards in a breakroom. But it can also be a good idea to have monthly meetings where you discuss the regulations with employees.
Educating employees
Many hospitals and clinics have a fairly brisk employee turnover rate. Large hospitals are constantly hiring new people all the time. How will those new employees get up to speed about HIPAA guidelines? What if a new employee who does not know about these regulations, takes a photo with a friend standing in front of a patient bed and that photo winds up on his Facebook page?
Things like this are likely to occur in large facilities. The “human factor” is often the weakest link when it comes to overall internet security. Educating every new employee, however, is the responsibility of hospital administrators. You can’t simply post the HIPAA regulations on a bulletin board and expect everyone to know what to do. There must be ongoing training that’s mandatory. The HIPAA fines are just too high to assume everyone is abiding by the rules.
Take a proactive approach
Policies must be well documented and updated annually. Regardless of the size of your practice, regular training is a must. Each healthcare organization should implement high-level security protocols to prevent accidental or intentional data breaches. Last year alone, data breaches in hospitals cost approximately $6 billion. This number rises steadily each year despite all the publicity; social media issues add untold complexities to the mix.
It is essential to do everything possible to make sure your staff knows and understands HIPAA regulations, especially pertaining to social media. This can protect your medical practice from liability in the event of a violation. HIPAA social media guidelines are an important part of ensuring that PHI remains secure. Compliance is everyone’s responsibility!

3 Tips for Improving your Mobile Medical Data Security

by Felicien | Jun 13, 2018 | Education

Today’s advances in telemedicine are exciting. People can now track their health and fitness with a watch. Blood sugar can be monitored with small hand-held devices. The sensors on a mobile phone can monitor your blood pressure. There are smartphone apps to help people with almost every type of health condition. Though all these technological advancements are allowing people everywhere to take control of their health, there are hidden dangers lurking in the background.

Wearable technology is amazing and it can make people aware of areas where they need to make improvements to their health, but what about all the data these devices collect? Is it secure from hackers? The answer is a resounding no! Most people believe these products are secure, but they aren’t. In fact, they’re highly vulnerable to hackers and cybercriminals. Unfortunately, most apps and medical appliances have very basic internet security built in.
These are just a few of the reasons why guidelines like HIPAA were created. These regulations control the ways in which medical data should be handled. This includes the way healthcare workers gather and process healthcare information.
While mobile devices are very convenient for doctors, nurses, and technicians to use, they do present a significant risk. Along with that, health and fitness apps are helpful and convenient on many levels. Yet, they collect various types of sensitive data about people. If there’s no protection integrated for keeping your medical information safe from cyber threats, then you’re vulnerable. Unfortunately, developers are designing and manufacturing apps to help people manage their health without considering the “security factor.”
Laws like HIPAA do make a difference, but we live in a world where everyone must be diligent about handling data, especially medical information. No one wants their private healthcare info just drifting around the web.
Mobile medical security is an ongoing problem
Doctors, researchers, and their patients are only now realizing how exposed they are. This is one area that has consistently been poorly secured. Everyone loves their mobile phone. You can get so much done on one these days. So it’s only natural that doctors and nurses would use their smartphones for work. But so do medical technicians, x-ray techs, and even the administrative team at a hospital or doctor’s office. This accounts for millions of users working from a mobile device or tablet computer where they view, save, and exchange medical info with others.
Let’s say you have a very high-profile job and just found out that you have cancer. If your employer learns about this in the wrong way, this places your livelihood and reputation in jeopardy. Most people want this type of information to remain private. In fact, HIPAA guidelines ensure that we all have a right to privacy when it comes to our medical information.
It’s easy to see what a huge security issue mobile devices can be when it comes to the security of medical data. What if your doctor leaves his phone in a restaurant, store or public restroom? Maybe an honest person will pick it up and try to return it safely, but probably not. Thousands of people around the world now earn their living by stealing data from others and medical information will fetch a high price.
Instead of worrying about these escalating threats, it’s better to find out what you can do to protect your mobile medical data from intruders and thieves. Believe it or not, most of this information is rudimentary and we should all being doing these things anyway to protect ourselves.
Whether it’s family photos, text messages or important medical documents, most of us want our personal information to stay safe and private.
Below, we share 3 simple steps to safeguard mobile medical data.
Mobile device management
Many companies these days are using mobile device management (MDM) solutions. These are typically employed on an entire fleet of mobile devices. Whether you employ a dozen people or a hundred, you don’t have to worry anymore about lost and stolen phones. MDM can separate personal data from corporate data. It monitors the user’s habits. It will prevent users from visiting certain sites or downloading certain types of content. This is a good choice for many organizations. A “remote wipe” feature can automatically delete the data on a lost device. When dealing with medical records, this is a valuable feature. Though it can be expensive, it’s much cheaper than a damaged reputation and big lawsuit.
Encryption
Encryption is one of simplest methods of protecting data on any device. Whether your device is lost or stolen, if no one can tell what the information says, then it’s safe. File-level is a great way to protect specific files. Disk-level encryption protects everything on the device. It’s usually a more thorough solution and it’s cost-effective. Today’s popular operating systems like Windows 10 and Mac OS X have the ability to provide strong encryption functionalities.
Training
Healthcare workers need training as much as any other profession when it comes to medical data security. Once workers are trained on “best practices”, they’re far more likely to obey the rules and avoid risky moves. Best-practice data security procedures should be second-nature to healthcare workers. They should know what’s at stake and how to protect the data they have control over. For best results, workers should get regular data security classes at least a couple of times per year. Don’t let the “human factor” be the weakest link in your chain.
Conclusion
Though mobile devices offer so much flexibility and convenience, they may always be risky for certain professions and healthcare workers are at the top of the list. Protect your healthcare organization’s IT infrastructure with the best data security solutions available. This will help you avoid the embarrassment of a big data leak that damages your reputation and costs millions to remediate.

Microsoft Reveals Innovative Features for Its New Outlook 2018

by Felicien | Jun 13, 2018 | Education

How Dermatologists Have Used Technology Most Effectively

by Felicien | Jun 12, 2018 | Education

Dermatology, like other areas of medicine, has experienced and continues to undergo enormous changes in both technologies and in medicine and procedures. Dermatologists and other experts involved in skin care, attribute much of this transformation to fundamental improvements in medicine. With today’s innovative advancements in skin care, people can now get relief from age-old problems like acne and scarring. There’s a revolution going on in the area of treating aging skin.

Many dermatologists are now using vitamins and minerals directly on the skin. Laser treatments have proven quite effective as well. Regardless of whether you’re dealing with stubborn pockets of fat or varicose veins, there’s a new treatment for it.
The advent of more advanced imaging capabilities, telecommunication systems, and methods of information transfer have significantly changed how dermatologists examine patients. They can now perform an examination, develop a diagnosis, and outline a treatment plan using software specifically developed for this field.
Technology is in a constant state of growth and the transformation it brings to every industry is enormous. After canvassing dermatologists and their colleagues in the skin care industry, we have put together a wealth of information on some of the most effective ways in which these experts have employed various forms of technology in their work. Read along.
Clinical Photography in the practice of dermatology
Dermatologists have used photography for decades as a conventional means for documenting skin conditions. Photography comes in handy as an adjunct to the treatment of various dermatologic conditions in both research and clinical applications.
This approach to capturing and documenting patient improvement has been furthered by the emergence of low-cost digital imaging systems that are considerably easier to use. There have been improvements in the imaging applications as well. Many skin care professionals have used these new approaches but others have concerns when it comes to using digital imaging technologies to document dermatological information. These concerns are:

Controlling the lighting to provide a clear record of the skin condition of patients.
Maintaining consistency over time to keep an accurate track of clinical endpoints for meaningful comparisons.

Ideally, you’ll want to control the image capturing for quality, making sure that the images can be reproduced and compared with ease. This is the key to the successful use of clinical photography in dermatology. It means controlling factors that typically influence image quality such as:

Lighting (the lighting has to be right)
Distance (image must be taken from a close distance to produce optimum image resolution)
Color reproduction (should be realistic)
Focus (sharp is preferred)
Distracting elements (on the background/avoid them as much as possible)
Points of reference (the inclusion of a chosen point of reference is helpful)

Note: Photos will be most suitable for purposes of comparison when taken under identical conditions and at the same angle, using the same center of focus each time.
With increased accessibility to improved digital imaging systems, practitioners have been able to capture good-quality photographs of affected areas for diagnosis. The fact that digital imaging equipment has become more universal among today’s consumers has contributed to improved functionality in the medical industry.
There are numerous ways in which dermatologists have used clinical photography in their work over the years. Here, we look at some of the best ways in which these technologies have been used to capture and document a patient’s skin information.
Using photo analysis software and 3D imaging tool within dermatology clinics
Various dermatology clinics have turned to 3D imaging tools to photo document cutaneous disorders largely due to the visible nature of the skin. This has been an increasingly more convenient and cheaper undertaking given the emerging developments in imaging technology.
Ongoing technological advances have constantly created more and more opportunities for photo taking and use in dermatology clinics. There is widespread availability of quality low-cost digital cameras for clinicians to use in capturing images for patient records. This has enabled dermatologists to easily rely on standard photography as a useful technology in their practice; both for medical and cosmetic applications.
Physicians have found photos to be extremely helpful in documenting their patients’ short-term or even long-term clinical history; largely because patients often forget how they looked prior to therapy. Photos, therefore, become handy as patient management or education tools.
Clinical trials: using software to analyze images
While photo documentation has been at the center of clinical trials for several dermatologic indications or diseases for many years, developments in technology have improved it even further, making it more essential in these clinical trials.
The most successful use of documented photographs for clinical and cosmetic complaints have involved using software to analyze images and provide objective and more accurate assessments of various patients’ therapeutic responses. These include the use of both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) imaging systems developed for clinical trials. These methods have been far more dependable than any human reviewers.
Together with specially designed imaging software, these systems have been employed to offer accurate measurements of objective criteria including lesion sizes and lesion counts.
Further, with 3D imaging technology, dermatologists have been able to get better measures of essential dermatologic parameters such as wrinkle depth. Without this kind of technology, experts had to previously rely on less accurate assessment methods like comparing before and after images of the skin in focus. This kind of approximation left much room for error. However, with the advent of 3D imaging technology, dermatologists have been able to obtain more accurate measurements of essential factors including the height, width, and even changes in lesion volume which can provide a more accurate evaluation of the effect of therapy on different lesions.
How 3D imaging technology works
It is easier to comprehend the working of three-dimensional technology if looked at from the perspective of the working of the human eye. Our eyes perceive depth (3D) since each eye, located some inches apart, views the same object from an angle slightly different from the other. The brain then merges this data to create a 3-dimensional representation of what we are looking at.
The three-dimensional imaging system works in basically the same fashion. It utilizes a compact stereovision camera to capture two images that differ from each other by some degrees, for every photo taken. Like the human brain, the system then combines the two images (taken at different angles) and forms a single composite three-dimensional image of the object.
Once clinicians have these life-like reconstructions the system has created, they turn to 3D analysis software to show a variation from baseline. The software can also be simulated to help indicate or predict a response expected from treatment.
Storage and retrieval of 3D images
Documentation of 3D images has been successful to a large extent because of the software for image storage and management that makes up part of the 3D imaging technology.
Dermatologists often attend to multiple patients and this means they may have thousands of patient photos stored in different places (libraries, disks, computers) nearly at every point in time.
Retrieving a patient’s image from such a mammoth repository can be tedious if you don’t have a mechanism in place to simplify the process. Not to mention that there is usually no standard formatting designed for file naming and storage in the dermatology practice. The common habit has been to tag a file, along with the name of the patient and presentation date.
Thanks to advanced image storage and retrieval systems that centralize and standardize image storage, clinicians have been able to link more patient images with their (patients’) records.
Such state-of-the-art software offers a more standardized and effective means of recording and searching for a patient’s image(s) when required. Further, it has been easier for practitioners to conduct side-by-side comparisons on-screen with this kind of technology.
New technologies that have been incorporated into clinical photography
Imaging systems and software used in clinical trials have seen major changes for the better. Some of the new capabilities that have since been incorporated into these technologies include the use of precisely angled light pointers on both sides of the image processing lens, enabling the user to pinpoint the specific object to be snapped (such as anatomic site or lesion).
This is a significant addition since it enables some of the most essential requirements for accurate imaging to be achieved. For instance, the technology makes it easier to get the exact image distance and camera settings that are needed to achieve consistency in images over the entire period of treatment, even when multiple users are involved in taking the photographs over that extended period of time.
Laser technologies for skin imaging and treatment 
Other than traditional clinical photography and regular 3D imaging technology, laser technology has made even greater contributions in helping dermatologists achieve efficiency in both cosmetic and clinical therapies.
There have been state-of-the-art options that enable these clinicians to view far more details that cannot be seen any other way. Further, the use of laser appliances has enabled dermatologists to produce incredible, microscopic skin images and analyze data in a more in-depth manner.
Laser technology for skin diagnosis
To analyze the patient’s skin, clinicians have always had to take captured images to the lab for special analysis. Over the recent years, this has been rendered unnecessary in most cases. With the recent improvements of laser technology and its incorporation in the field of dermatology, it has become less common for dermatologists to have to peer at glass slides on a microscope.
A good number of clinicians have used dermatoscopy, a technique that involves using a cutting-edge, hand-held microscope to examine the skin. The device is built for studying the complex surface of the skin and captured images or recorded videos as needed. This process requires absolutely no glass slides under the lens of the microscope.
Dermatoscopy also allows dermatologists to look beneath the skin by use of a special optical imaging technique involving the use of a confocal laser scanning microscope. This technique reveals at a cellular level, the very root of a broad range of skin conditions.
Thanks to the confocal laser scanning microscopy, patients with various skin conditions have enjoyed noninvasive procedures enabling them better results with faster recovery times. The technology is also available with other equipment used for mole mapping or full body imaging.
These developments have been responsible for accurate and real-time imaging that help prevent disease through early detection. There have also been significant improvements in understanding the nature of skin itself.
Noninvasive treatment options 
The application of laser technology does not just end with diagnosis; rather, it further helps in the subsequent stages that involve providing solutions to the patient.
Noninvasive treatment is one of the areas in which laser applications come in. This form of treatment does not involve cutting the skin. It has transformed medicine in significant ways, particularly in the field of dermatology.
Advancements in laser technology have made them far more accurate with precise targeting that leaves healthy skin completely untouched. For instance, fractional lasers have been used to deliver numerous tiny laser beams in a grid pattern – treating only the affected skin cells and leaving alone the surrounding cells as well as the cells in between.
These laser options have shown significant efficacy in treating skin conditions with negligible damage to the skin. They are a much less damaging alternative compared to the traditional use of the scalpel. The laser is also more desirable especially for treating delicate areas of the skin.
With the noninvasive nature of laser treatments, patients of dermatologic procedures have registered some of the shortest recovery times in the history of medicine. The outcomes have been great for medical and for cosmetic needs alike.
In many cases, dermatologists have applied the use of the same lasers used in treating lesions or skin cancers to cosmetic applications such as treatment of skin aging, sun damage or even removing undesirable pigmentation, such as from acne or scars.
At-home laser hair-removal techniques
Laser use is not just limited to the confines of dermatology clinics. Over the years, innovators have worked hand-in-hand with leading dermatologists to create some very effective at-home laser appliances for hair removal.
Some people, mostly females, tend to prefer smoother and clearer legs, considering hair to be unwelcome on the skin surface. For such people, there have been impressive results from the use of appliances like Tria Beauty’s Laser Hair Removal System and SensEpil from Silk’n.
With laser technology, what we see is a unified approach to skin treatment for both clinical and cosmetic needs. A lot of dermatology clinics have invested in proven technologies and equipment that work so that patients have enjoyed therapy without the need for surgery.
Keeping up with the demands associated with growing medical literature
Like other areas of medicine, dermatology is constantly evolving. This means that there is increasingly more medical literature for the dermatologist to utilize in order to deliver improved healthcare services.
To keep up, dermatologists have resorted to the use of information technology tools to record, organize, manage and/or recall every ounce of essential information. They are turning to electronic health record systems and the cloud for easier access to needed data in its electronic format. Personal computers, mobile phones, tablets, and other related information have become indispensable resources.
In so doing, they have automated a huge bulk of the information management work and freed up large amounts of time to use in developing better treatment methods for their patients.
There has been positive feedback from both patients of cosmetic dermatologic procedures and their physicians. This points to the positive impact that the use of information communication technologies has had on this industry.
In other words, these technologies, with their multimedia capabilities including drawing tools and videos, have been responsible for improved clinical efficacy. Patient satisfaction has increased, along with overall patient experience.
Effective sharing of information via Internet-based dermatology resources
Information communication technologies have not been limited just to dermatology clinics and consultation rooms. Dermatologists and other clinicians have turned to web-based apps and systems to transfer or share information in a social and collaborative manner – effectively transforming the whole arena of access to data and physician-patient communications in general.
Dermatologists have moved a step further to create information resources such as blogs and vlogs, as well as eBooks and other publications, making them electronically available for patients and colleagues to access. These resources are being used for educational purposes by many experts.
Patients have often already checked out all the treatment options online, so they have a better idea of what to expect from therapy – effectively reducing consultation time and improving both patient experience and treatment outcomes.
Because of this growing use of internet-based dermatology resources, physicians can now easily access learning and reference materials online. Lots of educational support resources are also available for patients online, which have helped improve dermatology and continue to facilitate the growth of the practice.
Last words
The last few decades have seen tremendous technological advances and innovations in dermatology and dermatologic procedures or surgery. These have slowly but progressively changed how dermatologists interact with patients and fellow physicians, as well as the way they practice medicine overall.
With new tools and approaches to skin care and related therapies, dermatologists have had some of the finest tools and equipment at their disposal. These professionals have made great use of these technologies to bring improved care to the patient. Based on this record, we can expect to see nothing but a stream of constantly-improved healthcare from dermatologists going forward.

Security – The Biggest Challenge For Companies.

by Felicien | Jun 12, 2018 | Education