HIPAA/HITECH critical security measures and best practices

CHICAGO, June 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Security measures related to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health, otherwise known as HIPAA/HITECH, are numerous and complex. McGladrey's HIPAA/HITECH critical security measures and best practices discusses how being mindful of privacy regulations and implementing strong security practices is a must for health care organizations.

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From 2009 to 2013, the Office for Civil Rights has fielded more than 79,000 reports and complaints in connection with protected health information breaches. These security breaches were the result of various incident scenarios, including laptop theft and unauthorized system access, as well as loss of paper records and loss or theft of portable devices.

It's important to have a breach response plan in place to allow for the efficient execution of the steps needed to address breaches. The plan should include a designated response team and team leader that can maintain 24-hour contact with members and alternates, including:

• Compliance officer
• Privacy officer
• Security
• Information security
• Legal
• Public relations and communications
• Human resources
• Customer service and patient relations
• Business units
• Outside consultants

To learn more, read McGladrey's HIPAA/HITECH critical security measures and best practices. In addition, check out a post-webcast survey of health care providers on this topic and listen to webcast recordings on HIPAA/HITECH and other big issues impacting the health care industry.

SOURCE McGladrey