Healthcare providers receives, manages and stores important information about patients and HIPAA is the legislation that makes sure all data is kept private and secure. It is essential to use HIPAA software and give patients peace of mind that their personal data is in good hands and will not be revealed anywhere. Organizations that come in contact with PHI data, but do not comply with the required standards will pay fines and penalties. Luckily, there are providers that offer software solutions meeting all expectations and guidelines. While looking into the aspect, healthcare providers can also review the available SMS appointment scheduling.
What is HIPPA Software
HIPPA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability. Clinics and healthcare facilities need to comply with certain standards, in order to keep PHI (protected health information) secure and private. However, not many know exactly what counts as such information and what needs to be stored and handled correctly. Staying informed is the key, to avoid any fines and complications and losing patients’ trust. Using HIPAA software is certainly better, because in this way you comply with regulations and know for sure your practice is safe and there is nothing to worry about.
Protected health information refers to patients’ medical records, including MRI scans, blood test results, billing records and all conversation between patients and doctors. Emails and chats regarding health between medical staff and the insurance company or health provider, also fall into the category. At a certain point, not everyone had to comply with HIPAA specifications, only hospitals, doctors and insurance companies. This is because they were the only ones with access at PHI. Things have changed along the way, because covered entities came into discussion and these include:
• Pharmacies
• Hospitals
• Doctors
• Insurance companies
What is SMS Appointment Scheduling
Patients and medical staff get in touch one with another each time they have to exchange medical information and make appointments. Sometimes, people waste time trying to reach the clinic or medical practice without any luck, as operators are already engaged in other discussions. They end up frustrated and postpone the appointment until they forget or try another clinic to see whether someone is available. The good news is that automation comes in discussion and it is possible to implement SMS appointment scheduling without any issues.
This offers patients more freedom because they can schedule and verify appointments from their device, regardless of their location. Once the appointment is made, patients will receive reminders, so they do not forget to show up at the doctor at the established date and time. Clinic staff will not have to do this manually or verify the list to call patients and make sure they do not forget. Some applications are more advanced and incorporate all sorts of features, such as patient history, notes and purchases. Whenever an existing patient makes an additional appointment, the information is already there.
Considering the important data exchange between patients and doctors, it is important to follow some rules and implement safety regulations. This is where HIPAA software comes into discussion. Regardless of what CRM system a clinic or practice wants to implement, it is better to verify if it complies with HIPAA regulations. This will avoid any future complications and costs. More and more clinics outsource their needs and use cloud providers to store information. This means that regulations had to take them into consideration.
There are a few rules for any entity to comply with HIPAA law and everyone working in the field has to be familiar with them. PHI data has to be protected under any circumstances and thus, healthcare establishments need to have safeguards. Only authorized personnel need to have access to PHI information, so they can accomplish the intended purpose. Every employee should receive training about security and data privacy, to understand the importance behind it. Access to information needs to be limited and procedures have to be established.
Clinics looking forward to establish their activity have many aspects to take into consideration and they need to implement software solutions to function and manage all appointments, register patients’ data and collect payments. Nowadays, there are many providers on the market that do not disappoint and offer excellent solutions in all situations, for all needs. They help facilitate communication and transactions and lead to better customer service and customer satisfaction. One good example is SMS appointment scheduling and how easy it is to manage this part using the best solutions.
There are also several advantages of HIPAA software and complying with the standards from the first place. The possibility of having access to new markets and new patients increases. Some of these examples include business associates, covered entities and health technologies. No one should overlook the possibilities and what it means to expand business activity.
The greatest benefits of HIPAA software are for patients, because it makes sure that healthcare providers and clinics will implement secure solutions to protect important and sensitive health information. Without these regulations, healthcare organizations would not safeguard data and will not meet any repercussions if they failed to do it.
Clinics and medical practices have a lot of traffic and patients coming and going. Keeping records of everyone and making sure they have appointments is crucial. SMS appointment scheduling software assists greatly in this purpose and offers patients the possibility of reviewing appointments at any time of the day. Providers activating in the field present amazing solutions, to help save valuable time and effort and make sure medical staff and receptionists have enough time to treat each appointment with great importance.
With SMS appointment scheduling it is easier for patients and healthcare facilities to keep track of schedules and not make the mistake of booking more patients than possible, mistake dates and hours and misinform them and doctors about their schedule. Human error can be eliminated through the use of software and there is no excuse for patients to miss their appointment or believe they didn’t understand the conversation over the phone.
