For the past two years, many companies have called the remote work shift an experiment. However, it may be time to change that phrase.
The results are in, and one thing that isn’t changing anytime soon is the trend of remote work. While it comes with some growing pains, it’s ultimately proven to be an efficient move economically and a smart strategy for promoting workplace safety.
However, every industry is different, and for those with more stringent regulations, taking operations into the realm of cyberspace can present some liability concerns.
For healthcare organizations, maintaining HIPAA compliance is a top priority. So how do you do this when your new workday consists of predominantly digital communications?
Here we’ll discuss some helpful technologies and strategic decisions that can help your remote workforce maintain HIPAA compliance
Top Technologies for Maintaining HIPAA Compliance
Anyone who has ever worked in the medical field knows you deal with piles of patient information and other confidential materials. If you’ve ever misplaced a personal document, you know how frustrating it can be – now imagine making this oversight with someone’s contact information or medical history.
Thanks to the age of digital transformation, more facilities are transferring their information to digital format. While some may say this presents more vulnerabilities, a proper document management system actually makes your information more secure.
With advanced security features, these systems make it easy to control who can see what, and even allow you to see who has accessed or modified any given document.
But what about in the event of a disaster? If your critical files are wiped but not stolen, you may still be in violation of healthcare regulations. This is where backup and disaster recovery services come in handy. A proper recovery plan ensures your information is retrievable with minimal downtime.
There’s also the option of full managed IT services by an expert. How does this impact HIPAA compliance? It helps healthcare facilities improve security, especially in remote work settings.
With 24/7 monitoring and tech solutions tailored to the needs of your healthcare environment, managed services make it easy to secure your data and protect your patients. Whether you’re looking to catch outside threats like viruses and spyware, or you want to monitor the use of office hardware like printers and copiers, managed services may offer the answer.
Smart Strategies for Excelling at Remote Work
When used in the right applications, technology can provide a multitude of benefits for healthcare facilities. But anyone who has ever brought in a new technology knows that machines or software alone won’t generate results.
Achieving any business goal requires a company-wide commitment, and maintaining HIPAA compliance is no different. When you’re looking to make the transition remote work smoother and more secure, use these tips:
- Get Your Team Involved: Even if people are working in different places, it’s important to keep them on the same page about any changes about your goals regarding compliance and HIPAA. Remember, you can use document management systems to distribute the training/educational materials needed for this purpose.
- Accept It’s a Learning Process: Even if you have a team of tech-savvy workers who know HIPAA inside and out, it’s a given that adjusting to compliance standards in a remote work setting will take some time. While you can’t afford to breach regulations, you can make the process of implementing your new technology easier by accepting it will take time.
- Call in the Experts: These days a technology expert isn’t just someone who sells you a product or service. These are the people who help you implement and utilize your technology to the fullest – and their presence can make all the difference in your results.
When you have the right mindset and commitment to teamwork, it’s much easier to make remote work a success while remaining in line with industry regulations like HIPAA.
Let RJ Young Help You Maintain HIPAA Compliance While Remote
Let’s face it – healthcare workers’ days are usually jam-packed. You have plenty to focus on with your patients and administrative tasks. Even if you know HIPAA, applying it to a digitally transformed work setup isn’t always easy alone.
Instead of spending all of your valuable time trying to master this complex process by yourself, let our team of skilled experts help you. With the right tech partner by your side, you’ll enjoy both a thriving remote workforce and seamless HIPAA compliance.
RJ Young brings you all the services you’ll need to stay organized, efficient, and HIPAA compliant in your remote work operations. Enjoy smoother document organization, improved communication, and complete IT management when you work with us. Click here to get started.