A fundamental benefit of HIPAA is that it encourages the wider use of electronic transactions, greatly simplifying healthcare administration and reducing administrative overhead costs.

Yet with the computerization of patient medical records, healthcare organizations face an increased security risk from various sources, such as unauthorized internal access, intrusion attempts, and other security attacks. HIPAA Solution therefore mandates security measures be taken to protect this sensitive data, ensuring that only patients and their healthcare providers have access to patient medical information. According to the Final Rule of the Act’s Health Insurance Reform: Security Standards, HHS states:

“Section 1173(d) of the Act provides that covered entities that maintain or transmit health information are required to maintain reasonable and appropriate administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of the information and to protect against any reasonably anticipated threats or hazards to the security or integrity of the information and unauthorized use or disclosure of the information. These safeguards must also otherwise ensure compliance with the statute by the officers and employees of the covered entities.”

To comply with HIPAA regulations and protect patient information, healthcare organizations are tasked with updating their legacy computer systems, ramping up their information security capabilities, and defining and implementing business processes that align with security objectives.

According to the Title II Administrative Simplification Security Rule, specific security issues must be addressed and solutions implemented as they relate to transmitting and storing patient data. Safeguard initiatives include the following:

• Security Management Process
• Administrative Safeguards
• Assigned Security Responsibility
• Workforce Security
• Information Access Management
• Security Awareness and Training
• Security Incident Procedures
• Contingency Plan
• Evaluation
• Business Associate Contracts and Other Arrangements
• Physical Safeguards
• Facility Access Controls
• Workstation Use
• Workstation Security
• Device and Media Controls
• Technical Safeguards
• Access Control
• Audit Controls
• Integrity
• Person or Entity Authentication
• Transmission Security

The HIPAA Security Standards do not specify particular technology requirements, so each affected healthcare organization must assess its own risk and develop security measures accordingly. Organizations must then certify their security programs through self-certification or by a private accreditation entity.

Therefore, to address the HIPAA Security Rule and ensure that Administrative, Physical, and Technical Safeguards are implemented that will lead to HIPAA compliance, a comprehensive and effective information security program is necessary.