Chhoda Reiterates How the Practice’ EMR Ensures Patient Privacy and Maintaining HIPAA Compliance
Denville, NJ (PRWEB) September 29, 2013 -- “In order to become and remain HIPAA compliant, an electronic medical record system will be an essential tool for the practice,” said Chhoda. “The integrated systems have extensive functionalities and one of the greatest is the ability to maintain patient privacy and warn if a breach occurs within the network of facilities to which a therapist is connected.”
Chhoda keeps reminding medical providers that they should closely scrutinize any EMR before purchasing. The optimum EMR should be a web-based system that can be employed on tablet technology. Information should be maintained in the cloud to prevent loss or corruption from natural disasters, fires, floods and more mundane threats such as theft.
The safeguards contained within an EMR helps therapists avoid incurring harsh fines, along with criminal and civil penalties for failure to remain HIPAA compliant.
EMRs allow physical therapists to consult instantly and easily with other medical professionals and communicate with an extensive array of facilities ranging from hospitals to pharmacies. An EMR has the ability to notify others within the network immediately, allowing each provider to take appropriate precautions, especially if security is broken.
According to Chhoda, HIPAA standards prevent the dissemination of any personally identifiable information about a patient, but he also said that there are exceptions with which clinicians should be familiar. Practitioners can divulge information if a state of emergency is declared by the president or a public health emergency exists. Clients can also receive copies of their own medical records if a request is made in writing, as can parents and legal guardians of minors.
An integrated physical therapy EMR contains essential 21st century tools and safeguards to protect patient privacy and maintain HIPAA compliance. Chhoda’s new insights demonstrate the many abilities available with an EMR to protect patient information from fraud and identify theft. Even innocent mistakes can cost a practice millions in fines and penalties, and an EMR’s early warning system automatically and immediately notifies practitioners if information has been compromised to ensure safety throughout a practice.
Chhoda’s office can be reached by phone at 201-535-4475. For more information, visit the website at http://www.emrnews.com.
About Nitin Chhoda
Nitin Chhoda PT, DPT is a licensed physical therapist, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and an entrepreneur. He is the author of "Physical Therapy Marketing For The New Economy" and "Marketing for Physical Therapy Clinics" and is a prolific speaker, writer and creator of products and systems to streamline medical billing and coding, electronic medical records, health care practice management and marketing to increase referrals. He has been featured in numerous industry magazines, major radio and broadcast media, and is the founder of Referral Ignition training systems and the annual Private Practice Summit. Chhoda speaks extensively throughout the U.S., Canada and Asia. He is also the creator of the Therapy Newsletter and Clinical Contact, both web-based services to help private practices improve communication with patients, delivery better quality of care and boost patient retention.
Nitin Chhoda, EMR News, http://www.nitin360.com, +1 (201) 535-4475, [email protected]
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