Introducing Vital Signs

On behalf of AdvancedMD Software, I would like to welcome you to our first edition of Vital Signs, our monthly online newsletter. The purpose of this newsletter is two-fold:

• Provide current information to providers about medical billing and practice management strategies.
• Supply the latest in electronic medical record trends.

We would love to hear suggestions for subjects to distribute. If you find this newsletter useful, feel free to forward it on to a colleague.

We understand our readers are busy professionals, so our goal is to provide concise, relevant information.

Again, welcome to Vital Signs. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we like producing it.

Jim Pack
President of AdvancedMD

Security of Electronic Health Records a Great Concern

It seems like news stories involving data breaches of personal customer information are popping up all over. AIG, ING, Veterans Administration, Ohio University are all companies and organizations that have reported major security breaches in the past several months. Whether it's a hacking attempt, a random burglary or a direct theft of computer equipment, the exposure of the data is the same. With such high profile cases in the public's mind, it is no wonder great concern exists over the inevitable push towards electronic medical records.

If top insurance companies and even government agencies can't protect financial data, why should centralized storage of sensitive health data be trusted? Despite multiple security challenges, it is possible to reap the benefits electronic health records tout, without compromising patient data.

Electronic medical records have many benefits, but also great risks. While exposure of financial data can be costly and inconvenient, identity theft can be remedied. Exposing medical records can be especially damaging because a lapse can't easily be fixed. For instance, if an employer found out a worker had HIV, a chronic STD or cancer, they may make future employment decisions based on that information. There is no putting the proverbial "cat back into the bag" with medical information.

Is there a high security data storage solution?
If you take a look at the publicized security breaches mentioned earlier, only one of them involved hackers. University computer systems tend to be easier to hack because security is not a primary concern of the institution. Two other breaches involved data stolen from laptops in an employee's residence. The AIG case involved a burglary at the company which resulted in the theft of a laptop and server containing customer data. The events that exposed the most amount of data, almost 3 million entries, were human breaches, not technology breaches.

What is the solution to the data storage problem?
Would you believe web-based could be the best way to centralize and store sensitive medical records? Consider that online banking is used by millions of people each day with no large scale security breaches. If it were easy for hackers to get into bank servers, they wouldn't have to rely on "phishing" to get financial info. Web-based access would guarantee a stolen laptop wouldn't expose millions of patient's data. It also logs access points so all entries can be tracked, plus access can be quickly turned off when needed.

Server security
The most important part of the web-based solution is where the data is stored. Web servers are housed in secure environments that require biometric access and are staffed by well-paid computer professionals. Large technology companies like Google and Microsoft use server solutions like this to guarantee their websites are always running and process secure financial transactions.

Given this information, why would a medical practice purchase billing or EMR software that is at risk on their office computer? Further, why would a healthcare professional transport patient records on a laptop or PDA to be worked on later when there is a web-based solution readily available? Just like online banking, it will take some time before web-based medical records become widely accepted. When that happens, the only question will be, "Why didn't we do this sooner?"

Resources
Ohio University: Top University Target for Hackers in US

AIG: Personal Data on 970,000 Lost in Burglary

ING Financial to Notify Potential Identity Theft Victims

Quotable Quote
"The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas.”

—Linus Pauling
Nobel Prize Scientist

Coding News
Hospital emergency room codes often wrong. Some hospitals are improperly coding Medicare claims for emergency services...

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Legal Watch
New York law intends to end free lunch for doctors. The practice of wooing doctors with gifts and free lunches so they'll prescribe flashy new medications is helping spur prescription drugs prices ever higher...

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Events Watch
The 2006 Fall Annual Conference for HBMA (Healthcare Billing & Management Association) will be Sept. 10-12 in Las Vegas, NV. Stop by and say hello to AdvancedMD.