Customers are the lifeblood of any business and this rings true even for any healthcare organization and aesthetic provider. One way to make sure that you have a good relationship and patient engagement with them is to provide them peace of mind over their health information security. That’s why as aesthetic and medical professionals, you have a responsibility to equip your practice with HIPAA compliant EHR/EMR software.
So why is HIPAA compliance important and what are the best choices for HIPAA compliant EMR/EHR software? Healthcare and medspa practices that are now using electronic health records or electronic medical records should make sure that their systems follow HIPAA guidelines for the protection of their patient data. Some of the best EHR/EMR solutions are Calysta EMR, Kareo Clinical, SimplePractice, AestheticsPro Online, and DrChrono.
In the old days, health care providers, hospital facilities, and medical private practices kept paper records and physical documents of their patient’s information. But as technology advanced, the vulnerabilities of this traditional method of data-keeping were exposed and the ease of use and security of electronic medical record and electronic health record systems have replaced them for good.
EMRs contain the digital version of the patient chart, doctor’s notes and diagnoses, medications, lab results, and all other essential information required to help a physician make medical decisions. On the other hand, an EHR platform is more comprehensive and it stores vital signs, medical history, treatment plans, and even administrative and billing history.
Most of this data is securely stored online or in cloud servers. And to ensure that they are safe from cyber threats and data breaches, many cloud-based EHR/EMR platforms today are abiding with HIPAA privacy and security rules. Here are some of the best HIPAA compliant EMR/EHR for your medical practice management solution:
Calysta EMR is a cloud-based EMR solution developed by aesthetic professionals for aesthetic providers and medspa clinics. It’s an intuitive EMR powered by the latest technology and HIPAA-compliant servers to help your practitioners and staff securely store and manage electronic medical records. It is also a complete EMR software offering great features designed to improve your practice’s daily operations.
Some of its best features are practice appointment scheduling and booking management, telehealth and online Zoom conferencing, touchless payments and electronic medical billing, ready-to-edit templates for digital consent forms and procedure tracking, and automatic data backups. The good thing is that you can get all these features for affordable pricing (starts at $49/month for a single user and $99/month for unlimited users) that will not hurt your clinic’s budget.
Kareo Clinical is a cloud based EHR software that empowers independent practices, medical professionals, and healthcare practitioners to improve their customer service and patient interactions. It features a comprehensive all-in-one client dashboard where physicians can upload and share their notes, e-prescriptions, and view health records.
It also has a patient portal where customers can review their health information and access important doctor’s reminders. All online activities and personal patient information shared on the platform are secured by HIPAA guidelines.
This EHR software is also designed to enhance workflow and business management by offering customizable calendar views, notes, and agendas. It also helps improve collaboration within the medspa staff with its communication and messaging tools that allows smooth interaction between physicians, front desk staff, and billing and administrative personnel.
SimplePractice is another practice management software that runs on secure and HIPAA-compliant cloud servers. It features a user-friendly interface and it allows easy access on any web platform and mobile device so that both physicians and customers can simply check booking schedules, secure appointments, and handle billing online.
With SimplePractice, your clinic can go fully digital and paperless since it allows the automation of day-to-day processes, business reports, electronic medical records, payments, and more. Its client portal and dashboard also save your physicians the hassle of filling up papers and instead send and review online documents and digital forms. It also has a telehealth feature so doctors can give quality care to their patients anytime and anywhere.
AestheticsPro is a medical spa-focused EHR platform and it provides all essential features that aesthetics providers will need. It is designed to help improve patient care and customer experience while streamlining daily operations and business management.
Its easy-to-use EHR platform is equipped with HIPAA-compliant security features to make sure that all crucial doctor notes, medical records, and treatment and health plans are protected from unwanted tampering. It also has a convenient client dashboard where users can share notes, access booking schedules, track procedures, and review treatment progress.
This software includes an accounting suite for better handling of day-to-day payment processes with basic billing tools and business reporting. It also has customer relationship and patient engagement tools to allow physicians to view feedback and user reviews, as well as integrated marketing solutions to maintain your client base.
DrChrono is an EHR vendor that provides a complete software suite for client management, business administration, revenue cycle management, and electronic health record documentation. This EHR solution is backed with HIPAA-compliant privacy measures and security features to avoid unauthorized access and release of patient data and medical information.
With DrChrono, healthcare professionals and users can securely review and process chart notes, patient medical history, and even billing forms. This platform also comes with patient scheduling, administrative tools, automatic appointment reminders, secure patient-doctor communication, and patient health and progress monitoring.
HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and it is a national mandate that covers the privacy of patients under medical care and service. In the same manner that individuals have the right to access their medical records, any health care provider, doctors, and clinics are part of the covered entity that have the responsibility to protect a patient’s medical privacy.
The HIPAA law is the standard for many healthcare organization and it should be observed not just in their practices but also in the management tools and electronic health record solutions that they have.
There are two main aspects under HIPAA: the privacy rule which constitutes the different types of data and recorded that should be classified as protected health information; and the security rule which states the duties of medical and aesthetic practices on how they should handle any electronic protected health information (ePHI).
To provide continuity of care, sharing data and exchange patient records are something that many practitioners do. HIPAA lays the groundwork for secure communication between multiple providers to ensure that all electronically shared information and EHR implementation is safe and does not violate any guidelines.
The regulations and security guidelines are HIPAA applies to all medical organizations and aesthetic providers of any size and number. To avoid committing a HIPAA violation such as EHR/EMR data breach, malware incidents, or network hacking, the mandate asks that providers comply with their security rule.
Under the specific HIPAA Security Rule, private practices have to meet certain security standards to ensure the protection of ePHI and other critical patient data. They should employ the following security safeguards:
Many of the available HIPAA-compliant software in the market today are designed to ensure patient confidentiality, data protection, integrity of information, and prevention of threats and data breaches. Some of the security features they have are auditing and risk management features such as risk assessment audit and security audit to detect any risks for fraud and error in the system.
They also offer secure messaging tools which allow patients to communicate with their physicians and clinicians even when at home. Telemedicine is rapidly changing the way healthcare is done and it is important that remote communication software and tools such as patient portals and messaging apps are safely protected.
Having a HIPAA compliant EHR/EMR service is just one of the many ways that you can make sure that your practice is guarded against data loss, breaches, and information theft. Here are some of the best practices you can follow to make sure that your patient’s medical records stay safe with you:
Moving from paper records to electronic medical records is one sure way to assure your patient’s information security and confidentiality. With a HIPAA-compliant software like Calysta EMR, you can provide high levels of patient privacy while at the same time guaranteeing quality care and customer experience.
Our Calysta EMR solution also offers an array of features and benefits hat you will need to grow your aesthetic practice. We are always looking for ways to improve our system so you can continue giving unparalleled aesthetic service to your patients. Learn more about our service by giving us a call or sign up for a free trial.
If you’re looking for a platform that can change according to the needs of your practice, address the specific practice management issues that affect aesthetic providers, and engage in a community that cares how you grow, try Calysta today.
