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The healthcare sector has progressed enormously in this era of digitalization. Global spending on healthcare services is on the rise and this industry has a bright future for sure. Healthcare providers are investing in advanced technologies to ensure high-quality services to their patients. Users of mobile app are able to actively keep track of basic health stats such as consulting a physician over the app, measuring their heart rate, checking their glucose level, BMI level, booking appointments, Accessibility of Electronic Health Records both to patients and Physicians, etc.

But what comes in the picture here is the security of data. It is one of the biggest concerns of the healthcare industry. Data breaches, cyber-attacks, hacking, etc. are common today. They can put the sensitive health data of patients at risk, causing massive losses to healthcare organizations. This data can be at high risk especially while using a healthcare mobile app. So, healthcare organizations need to be more vigilant of their IT and cyber-security practices. In order to avoid theft, fraud, Misuse, identity of the patient data, all healthcare apps in US have to be HIPAA compliant and strictly abide by the HIPAA rules and regulations.

What is HIPAA?

HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The Act includes a set of minimum security and privacy standards for protection, confidentiality and availability of sensitive patient information and their medical records. It is issued by the federal regulators. Initially, the purpose of enacting this act was to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of U.S. healthcare organizations. Over time, many rules were added to the Act and the purpose was to protect the individually identifiable health information i.e. Protected Health Information (PHI). These rules influence the working and security of healthcare mobile apps.

The entities covered under HIPAA are healthcare clearinghouses, health plans, and healthcare providers that make use of electronic media for transmitting data like health claims, referral authorizations, coordination of benefits, etc. These entities may comprise of individual practitioners, small or large organizations, institutions, research centres and government agencies as well.

Why HIPAA Compliance plays a major role in protecting data privacy in Healthcare Apps?

It is federally mandated for the healthcare organizations and other healthcare IT service providers (like healthcare mobile app development services, web portal development services, etc.), to adhere to HIPAA for data privacy. So let us understand how HIPAA compliance plays a major role in protecting data privacy in Healthcare Apps:

Data Privacy

The importance of data capturing has increased over the years for improving the overall healthcare operations, with the use of advanced technologies like the Internet of Things, Robotic Process Automation, etc. Personal information of hundreds of patients, their contact details and their medical reports are recorded and saved digitally by many hospital bodies. So, data privacy is important to ensure that only relevant information is shared with the right people and at the right time. This also helps to build trust among the patients.

HIPAA compliant apps abide by strict rules to ensure data privacy. They have to display a link in the privacy policy of the mobile app, while the app is downloaded by the users. The apps take consent from the patients or users before using their information. Also, the users are informed about how their data will be used. These apps are hosted on HIPAA compliant servers for ensuring that all the HIPAA standards are met correctly.

Security of the medical data

Data breaches can be devastating for patients, hospitals and similar healthcare systems. There could be insurance frauds, extortion or identity thefts and once this data is hacked or lost, it can be disastrous for both patient and Healthcare providers. Hence it is of utmost importance to secure the data of patients, hospital staff or other back-office data.

A HIPAA compliant mobile app ensures that healthcare data remains safe and secure. The users of these apps can access the data only through a secure login and 2 factor authentications are applied as well for more security. All the data presented in the app can be only accessed using a secure PHI key. Also, in case the mobile device is stolen or lost, the personal user information cannot be accessed easily due to the advanced security and encryption. Data being stored on database servers are also encrypted so that the medical data cannot be easily accessible.

Secure data transmission

In many large Healthcare Facilities having multiple branches, the medical data needs to be shared with many Physicians or concerned authorities. If such a hospital uses a mobile app for data transmission, it must be in accordance with HIPAA rules and regulations. To ensure that the user data in the app isn’t accessed inappropriately or modified abruptly, the data should be audited from time to time. In case the patients are monitored remotely through wearable technology, IoT or AI, only the necessary data will be transferred to ensure the security of data. There are integrity control mechanisms in place in the communication networks of the apps.

A HIPAA compliant mobile app ensures that the amount of sensitive data that is stored on them has access limitations when the device is carried outside the premises of the hospital. Also, when these apps are deleted by the users, any related health data is deleted completely from the device. It is noteworthy that HIPAA laws apply only to the apps using PHI i.e. protected health information. So, the data transferred from an app that does not deal with personally identifiable information, is not needed to be protected under HIPAA.

Notification of medical records breaches

There is a possibility of sensitive Healthcare data getting fraudulently accessed by hackers. If the Healthcare Mobile app is HIPAA compliant, then it needs to notify affected individuals about the breach of data without unreasonable delay and should not be sent later than 60 days. So it is mandatory for an app that adheres to HIPAA to abide by data breach notification laws. Under these laws, the eligible data breaches are obliged to alert the users or relevant parties.

Some of the data breaches may not cause serious harm to hospitals or medical organizations. In case any disclosure of information, unauthorized access to it or loss of personal information is bound to cause serious damage, such breaches are called eligible data breaches. They can result in financial harm or even harm the reputation of the healthcare organizations. So, the mobile app they use should be HIPAA compliant and send timely notifications to users.

Key Takeaways:

Data is the biggest asset in any industry today and healthcare organizations are no exception to it. Today, most hospitals use diverse technologies and mobile apps for providing better services to their patients. However, the medical data can be vulnerable to threats. So, it is necessary for the healthcare apps and systems to follow HIPAA guidelines. Under HIPAA compliance, the covered entities need to put physical, technical and administrative safeguards for PHI in place and thus ensure privacy, confidentiality, integrity and security of the data.

Consider the possibility of waking up on Christmas morning alone, with no one to share in the pleasure of the holiday season with you. There is nothing special about today; there are no squeals of delight from the grandkids as they rip open gifts beneath the tree, and there is no Christmas family dinner to look forward to tonight.

Many seniors who have family members who live far away and cannot visit them over the holidays are confronted with this situation. These seniors may come from various backgrounds, but most feel grumpy or sad during the holidays and all of the fun and positive things that accompany the season.

Here are 5 fun Holiday Activities for Seniors to help fire up their holiday spirits:

Hang Christmas Decorations
Decorating during the holidays is ideal for bringing brightness, color, and a festive atmosphere into any area. Setting up a Christmas tree, creating a wreath, crafting unique stockings, or constructing a gingerbread house together can not only help beautify a place but will also enable you to make memories that older folks will treasure.

Encouraging seniors to decorate their living areas is one of the best ways to keep them cheerful this holiday season. Find prized decorations or rare family relics to place on their gleaming tree,

like in Rancho Mirage retirement communities, which are decked up with seasonal decorations to get seniors in the Christmas mood.

Listen and Sing Christmas Classics
Instead of forcing older persons to go caroling, have the carolers come to them. Music is more than simply a seasonal pastime. It’s therapeutic. Residents at Rancho Mirage retirement communities benefit from Christmas music to spark their memories.

Plan Holiday Excursions and Outings
Plan a tour for seniors to enjoy Christmas shopping and sights such as Christmas displays, live festive music, and holiday cuisine. Involve them and provide a physically, psychologically, and emotionally engaging atmosphere. Suggest an excursion that will bring seniors outdoors in the sun, whether it is chilly or not. Physically active seniors are less prone to suffer from winter depression. Many cities and towns put up Christmas and holiday decorations that you may stroll through or drive past. You may also go around your area to check out homes and establishments decorated with lights, inflatables, and other decorations.

Organize a Holiday Movie Marathon
Something about the holidays gets seniors in the mood to watch movies! A holiday movie marathon is a great opportunity to spend time with seniors, whether it’s a corny Hallmark movie, a classic like It’s a Wonderful Life, or a kid’s movie that seniors would like! Light some winter candles, prepare some refreshments, and enjoy this holiday activity for seniors and families.

Cooking/Baking Traditional Holiday Family Recipes
Food is generally the focus of the holidays! Ask seniors about their family recipes, favorite holiday dishes, or whether they have a dinner planned. Allow seniors to choose traditional meals that they like and encourage them to create the perfect holiday dinner. Seniors who will not be spending the holidays with their families may feel included if they help with tasks like peeling vegetables, folding napkins, and setting tables. Baking cookies or a dessert to share with others may also help your loved ones feel included in the Christmas spirit of giving.