4 keys to lock in patient portal security

With the increase in availability of patient relationship management systems (PRM) for private practitioners, being responsible for patient personal health information (PHI) through patient portals is a big job–and let’s be honest–a little scary. Almost every day there’s news of another cybersecurity hack and you’re probably asking yourself: How do I know my patient data is safe?

Patients are getting more tech savvy everyday, so having the ability to access records from their devices is important. You’re going to need a secure patient portal to communicate sensitive health information. A sophisticated PRM system with patient portal is going to have the cyber-safety features you need to keep private info private: user authentication, single sign-on using password-protected logins, and encrypted devices are key to managing PHI. It’s a balancing act between having easy access and providing a reliable level of security, but many EHRs have managed to make patient portal access convenient, easy-to-use and protected.

There is a wide range of EHR functionality out there, so knowing what to look for when it comes to security can help you narrow down what’s best for your practice. Here are four important features that can boost your patient portal security (and help you sleep at night):

#1 A HIPAA-compliant patient portal.

A well-designed patient portal offers patients a secure, convenient online means to request or schedule appointments, communicate or make payments on their account with a credit card. This helps streamline patient care in a secure, HIPAA-compliant environment.

#2 Private staff communication.

A portal system with unified messaging provides a secure communications platform for convenient online collaboration with staff. You can embed, annotate and securely upload or attach several file types.

#3 Secure document exchange.

Secure document exchange facilitates submission of health data to registries and manages transition of care with outside entities. An EHR with interoperability lets you coordinate care across settings so you can electronically receive and exchange orders, results, referrals, consults, medical histories and care summaries in a secure environment.

#4 Complete online forms securely.

Give patients a way to securely read, edit and sign their forms electronically. Choose an EHR with a convenient patient kiosk so patients can use their mobile devices to complete forms. Good systems will automatically add forms to the patient chart. A secure, patient kiosk device won’t let a patient login until their forms have been assigned, adding another layer of protection for their private health information.

Private practice physicians need to work seamlessly with patients in a protected online system. Secure, convenient patient portals are the way to provide the high quality care you’re used to giving them without sacrificing security when you communicate online. Finding an EHR with secure communication and functionality will let you and your staff breath a little easier knowing you’ve locked it up through a secure patient portal.