Personalize Patient Care with Confidence Through Efficient, HIPAA-Compliant Data Usage – MedCity News

Hospital
systems
often
encounter
unintended
compliance
risks
despite
their
commitment
to
following
HIPAA
regulations.
Improving
patient
care
and
driving
business
growth
through
the
use
of
data
analytics
are
worthy
goals,
but
when
tools
to
support
these
goals
are
inadvertently
misused,
unexpected
violations
may
result.
Good
intentions
offer
little
protection
from
an
allegation
of
improperly
obtaining
or
sharing
data,
highlighting
the
need
for
vigilant
compliance
measures
to
avoid
costly
mistakes.

To
elevate
care
experiences
while
attracting
and
retaining
patients,
most
hospitals
rely
on
data-driven
insights
to
drive
success.
Failing
to
leverage
actionable
intelligence
could
affect
an
organization’s
ability
to
provide
personalized
care
and
meet
public
health
needs,
making
it
difficult
to
remain
competitive.
However,
collecting
and
releasing
data
without
a
conscientious
strategy
can
be
just
as
detrimental
as
failing
to
obtain
it.
These
collection
and
usage
challenges
exist
in
two
key
areas:
internal
patient
data
–
which
is
crucial
for
informed
care,
personalized
treatment,
and
better
outcomes
–
and
marketing
and
website
data,
which
is
essential
for
enhancing
patient
experiences,
market
growth,
and
gauging
consumer
demand
preferences.

The
solution
–
responsible
procurement
and
handling
of
data
and
digital
marketing
insights
by
hospitals
–
can
generate
useful
information
to
improve
patient
wellness
and
operational
efficiency
without
compromising
compliance.

Access
to
internal
healthcare
data
can
improve
patient
outcomes 

When
leveraged
properly,
the
benefits
of
in-house
data
utilization
by
hospitals
are
clear.
According
to
a
Society
of
Actuaries
survey,

60%
of
healthcare
executives
use
healthcare
data
analytics
in
their
organizations.
Of
those
respondents,
well
over
half
have
noticed
positive
differences
in
patient
experiences
and
cost
savings
–
42%
reported
improved
satisfaction
and
39%
lowered
their
expenditures.

Data-driven
intelligence
enables
the
creation
of
treatment
plans
tailored
to
individual
patient
needs.
For
example,
identifying
high-risk
patients
early
enough
can
allow
for
timely
interventions
and
preventive
care.
For
those
who
require
the
coordinated
care
of
multiple
specialists,
data
can
help
facilitate
smooth
transitions
and
referrals
across
the
healthcare
ecosystem.
Combining
updates
in
these
areas
with
more
personalized
interactions
typically
leads
to
effective
communication,
higher
customer
satisfaction,
and
better
overall
outcomes.
The
collected
insights
can
also
help
to
optimize
digital
workflows,
which
reduces
hospital
wait
times
and
administrative
workloads. 

With
data
analytics
offering
significant
advantages
in
both
patient
care
and
operational
efficiency,
health
centers
must
be
able
to
leverage
this
information
with
confidence
and
in
full
compliance
with
regulations.
From
the
outset,
it’s
vital
to
collaborate
with
an
analytics
team
that
possesses
a
deep
understanding
of
both
data
utilization
and
compliance
with
HIPAA,
which
limits
the
release
of
a
patient’s
protected
health
information
without
authorization.
When
selecting
pre-built
systems
for
data
collection,
hospitals
must
carefully
evaluate
and
thoroughly
research
their
options
to
ensure
the
solution
aligns
with
their
needs
and
adheres
to
legal
requirements.

Anonymizing
data
is
another
useful
practice
to
ensure
that
any
information
collected
cannot
be
linked
to
individuals.
After
anonymizing
the
data,
hospital
teams
transform
it
into
a
suitable
format,
develop
and
validate
predictive
models
or
analytics
using
machine
learning
algorithms
or
statistical
techniques,
and
then
deploy
the
models
to
inform
clinical
decisions,
improve
health
outcomes,
or
strengthen
hospital
operations.
Ultimately,
data
insights
are
unlocked
while
maintaining
patient
privacy
and
regulatory
compliance.

Digital
marketing
data
supports
hospital
growth
and
service 

Digital
analytics
data
offers
a
wealth
of
intelligence
that
can
be
used
to
enhance
patient
experiences
and
improve
care
delivery.
With

80%
of
consumers
turning
to
the
internet
for
health-related
research
and
nearly
two-thirds
selecting
a
healthcare
provider
based
on
their
online
presence,
implementing
strong
digital
strategies
is
essential
for
organizations
to
draw
in
and
retain
patients.
By
analyzing
online
behavior
and
patient
interactions,
hospitals
can
identify
pain
points,
streamline
processes,
and
create
engaging
experiences.
This
approach
informs
design
and
functionality
enhancements,
optimizes
online
resources,
and
refines
customer
service
programs,
ensuring
patients
and
families
can
easily
find
the
information
and
support
they
need.
When
implementing
marketing
strategies
that
involve
sharing
data
with
analytics
vendors,
organizations
can
protect
against
incidents
by
partnering
only
with
tracking
technology
vendors
that
sign
a
Business
Associate
Agreement
(BAA).
This
safeguards
against
unapproved
disclosures
of
protected
health
information
(PHI)
and
maintains
the
privacy
and
security
of
sensitive
personal
information. 

Hospitals
using
advertiser’s
scripts
to
measure,
optimize,
or
target
ads
must
ensure
they
don’t
inadvertently
share
PHI
with
unauthorized
parties.
Some
vendors
may
scrape
and
send
confidential
health
information
to
external
recipients,
leaving
healthcare
systems
unaware
of
this
vulnerability.
To
address
the
issue,
it’s
crucial
to
consult
data
and
privacy
experts
who
can
conduct
a
thorough
website
audit
to
identify
and
evaluate
the
various
third-party
vendors
and
agencies
tracking
data
on
hospital
systems.
This
audit
should
reveal
which
ones
are
inappropriately
sharing
data.
With
this
knowledge,
hospitals
can
work
with
trusted
partners
to
find
alternative
solutions,
prevent
rogue
tracking,
and
implement
robust
content
security
policies
that
prevent
data
piggybacking
through
third-party
platforms. 

Consistent
HIPAA
compliance
begins
with
education

One
of
the
main
contributors
to
improper
data
usage
is
a
lack
of
understanding
about
what
HIPAA
requires.
To
eliminate
any
confusion
and
make
the
consequences
of
non-compliance
clear,
the

Department
of
Health
and
Human
Services
(HHS)
recently
issued
guidance
on
the
use
of
website
tracking
technology.
The
entity’s
bulletin,
released
June
20,
outlines
the
fundamentals
of
tracking
technologies,
their
applications,
and
the
necessary
measures
for
organizations
subject
to
HIPAA
regulations
to
protect
electronic
PHI
when
utilizing
these
technologies.

When
alerted
to
the
potential
risks
of
improper
online
tracking,
hospitals
often
instinctively
halt
all
data
collection,
but
this
drastic
measure
is
unnecessary.
By
doing
so,
they
would
forfeit
valuable
insights
that
could
enhance
patient
care
and
operational
efficiency.
Instead,
healthcare
systems
should
seek
out
analytics
companies
willing
to
sign
a
BAA,
ensuring
compliance
with
HIPAA
regulations.
While
not
all
companies
will
agree
to
this,
those
that
do
can
provide
guidance
on
implementing
tracking
tools
in
a
responsible
and
compliant
manner.

Balancing
HIPAA
compliance
with
effective
data
collection
and
usage
is
not
only
possible
—
it’s
essential
for
modern
healthcare
organizations
and
the
people
who
depend
on
them.
Education
on
the
nuances
of
HIPAA
and
recent
guidance
from
HHS
will
enable
hospital
systems
to
confidently
collect
and
appropriately
use
patient
data
to
enhance
care
delivery
from
the
ground
up.

Photo:
Ildo
Frazao,
Getty
Images

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