Hipaa Security Rule for Mobile Devices
According to a recent survey of physicians, an estimate of 83% own at least one mobile device and one in four doctors use smartphones and computers in their medical practice (Barrett, 2011). There is a great concern that protected health information (PHI) may be compromised by the use of mobile devices under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The HIPAA law is in effect to secure patient medical records are kept confidential and safe. The increase of patients and health care practitioners communicating not only with the patient and other medical professionals using mobile devices raises security issues of protected health information (PHI). The HIPAA Security Rule requires reasonable safeguards to protect electronic PHI’s. It is important for administrative, physical and technical safeguards to be in place to protect electronic PHI’s (ePHI).
The administrative safeguards are policies and procedures; to provide appropriate management, development, implementation, and maintenance of security measures that are in place for electronic protected health information (ePHI’s) and to manage the conduct of covered entities to ensure the information is protected. These safeguards cover more than half of the HIPAA Security requirements (HIPAA Security Series, 2007). Some standard safeguards are security management process, assigned security responsibility, security awareness and training and contingency plan.
Covered entities that are subject to HIPAA requirements include health plans, health care providers and health care clearinghouses. Implementations health care administrations can do to maintain the securities of mobile devices include but are not limited to:
• Implement a tool for user authentication, encryption and decryption; use pins and passwords for barriers.
• Designate a security official within the workforce to develop and implement security policies and procedures.
• Establish electronic procedures that terminate the
The administrative safeguards are policies and procedures; to provide appropriate management, development, implementation, and maintenance of security measures that are in place for electronic protected health information (ePHI’s) and to manage the conduct of covered entities to ensure the information is protected. These safeguards cover more than half of the HIPAA Security requirements (HIPAA Security Series, 2007). Some standard safeguards are security management process, assigned security responsibility, security awareness and training and contingency plan.
Covered entities that are subject to HIPAA requirements include health plans, health care providers and health care clearinghouses. Implementations health care administrations can do to maintain the securities of mobile devices include but are not limited to:
• Implement a tool for user authentication, encryption and decryption; use pins and passwords for barriers.
• Designate a security official within the workforce to develop and implement security policies and procedures.
• Establish electronic procedures that terminate the