Little in this technologically advanced world remains as sacred as our private health information. We hear of data leaks and security breaches, and we wonder, can we really trust online platforms? Are we better off the old-fashioned way? Although we may fear the opposite, the truth is that Electronic Medical Records, or EMR platforms, are safe and confidential.
In our current health system, Electronic Medical Records (EMR) are widely accepted as the standard of care around the world. With the shift to electronic records, medical professionals and insurance agencies continue to ensure that clients’ records remain safe and confidential. As an essential cog in this machine, we do not take this responsibility lightly.
Licensing and accreditation bodies (Like CARF and The Joint Commission) make it their priority to review, approve, and reject documentation that does not accurately, safely, and confidentially safeguard clients’ protected health information. We designed our EMR platform with these auditing measures in mind.
Clients and providers alike can rest at ease knowing that we developed our EMR platform with safety and confidentiality measures in mind.
Security
To detail the level of security provided to you when you trust an EMR platform like Alleva, we must back up and share a bit about our platform’s design and development. It is our goal to provide solutions, not one more headache or reason to worry.
Even in our aim to make things simpler for the behavioral health practitioner, we have not compromised on security or confidentiality. Our team includes both medical professionals who offer insight into the needs of the field and computer science engineers who determine how to use software to meet them.
From conception, we have equipped our EMR platform with features to protect against hacking and data breaches and include robust security measures to safeguard clinicians and the clients they serve.
Our EMR system uses best practices to ensure patient files are stored securely in compliance with HIPAA and HITECH requirements. Audit trails allow users to track who accessed or input data, answering the questions of “What was accessed? To what level? Who did it? When and where?” Knowing this information helps to identify unusual activity.
We also use encryption services to protect our EMR networks to keep client information as secure as possible. These encryption services require specific clearance to access medical records or before we deliver any confidential information through our password-protected family portal.
Confidentiality
Nothing is more valuable in protecting your private health information than the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. HIPAA regulations exist to ensure that clients receive the following rights regarding access and transfer of their medical records:
You are guaranteed access to your information.
EMR ensures clients can retrieve their records efficiently. At Alleva, we have incorporated patient portals to make access to documents relevant to your care even more straightforward. Our user-friendly system includes a client app to keep you connected during care and a family portal when the client is a minor.
Patients can now access relevant treatment documentation or receive a notification when their signature or consent is required. In this way, EMR reduces previous frustrations related to offering only paper documentation of health records.
Patients define who can access their information.
Confidentiality of client health information is paramount. EMR makes the designation of access easy for patients and providers alike through a form commonly known as a Release of Information (ROI). They can choose who should have access to their records and grant permission to release information right through the app. Using an EMR platform, accurate registers of ROIs remain on file, from authorized community providers to approved family members or guardians. EMR also ensures that permissions to release information are recorded in an easy to retrieve format to prevent having to grant permission on multiple occasions for the same providers and representatives.
Patients determine how they are contacted regarding their records.
EMR documentation makes it simple and fast to document and change clients’ preferred contact information. As the safety and confidentiality of protected health information are paramount, EMR makes it possible for clients to designate the best form of communication and make changes as needed. These easy-to-use processes ensure that providers always communicate protected health information through confidential means. Standard procedures like this also limit opportunities for unwanted parties to gain access to clients’ protected data.
Medical care providers and their clients can both rest easy knowing that we developed Alleva’s EMR platform with HIPAA compliance in mind.
Questions arise with the introduction of any new technology. Patients and providers enact their valuable right to advocacy by questioning the safety and confidentiality of client information. However, our EMR platform passes with flying colors as we continue to prioritize compliance with HIPAA laws and thorough security measures. Patients and their medical care providers can rest easy knowing that with Alleva, their medical records are truly safe and confidential.
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