Are you planning on outsourcing medical transcription? If yes, you will need to choose a HIPAA compliant service provider. Here is how you can check if the outsourcing service provider is compliant with the regulations of HIPAA.
There is a constant demand for outsourced medical transcription services in the healthcare industry. Outsourcing medical transcription has not only enabled healthcare physicians in the U.S and U.K to ease the process of documenting patient medical records, but has also significantly improved the quality of patient care. This is why more and more hospitals and healthcare practices are turning towards outsourcing, as they are finding it cumbersome to manage a large number of patient records.
However, if your hospital is looking at outsourcing, you will need to choose a HIPAA compliant medical transcription service provider. This is a critical factor that must not be overlooked if you want to ensure the security of your patient data.
Why is HIPAA important?
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or HIPAA plays a crucial role in striking a balance between safeguarding patient privacy and the transfer and use of health information. If you plan on outsourcing medical transcription, you will need to look for a medical transcription service provider who compiles with HIPAA and is certified to carry out services for private practices and hospitals. You must keep in mind that the service offered by transcription companies involve the exposure of health related data which is extremely sensitive. This is why it is critical to choose a HIPAA certified medical transcription service provider.
How to ensure the service provider is HIPAA compliant?
To begin with, select a service provider who is well-aware of the regulations of HIPAA. Ask if their internal staff is trained in HIPAA, because a failure in complying with HIPAA can result in serious penalties for you. The next thing that you will want to check is the infrastructure and technology used to ensure that there is no misuse or breach in your healthcare data. Finally, ask the service provider if they have periodic educational training programs for their medical transcriptionists to be aware if the changing requirements of HIPAA.
When you are looking for a medical transcription service provider, make it a point to enquire about the measures taken by the company to achieve HIPAA compliance. For instance, a HIPAA compliant service provider should adhere to the following:
- Encryption of all transcription files, which contain healthcare information, so that access is restricted to only authorized personnel
- No external subcontractors or work-at-home medical transcriptionists are used to handle medical transcription
- Networks are protected with a firewall and internal transcriptionists use only password-protected computers that have the latest anti-virus
- All medical transcriptionists sigh non-disclosure and privacy agreements before commencing work on a project. Transcription work is only started after the required clearance
- Damaged/unwanted medical data is shredded without any delay
- Maximum security of the premises with 24/7 security personnel
- Regular technical assessments are carried out to ensure that all the security systems are working without a glitch
At Outsource2india, we are a 100% HIPAA compliant healthcare services provider. All our processes are compliant with HIPAA. As our business partner, we can assure you of medical transcription services that are always kept private, confidential and secure. We can accurately transcribe any medical document, within a short span of 24 hours. Find out more about outsourcing medical transcription services.
What are some of the qualities that you look for while searching for a medical transcription service provider? Let us know in the comments box below. We at Outsource2india love to hear from you!
Interested to know more?
- How to Choose a Medical Transcription Company from India?
- Top 5 Benefits of Using Medical Transcription Services
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