In your search for the right agency management platform, a big "must-have" is a software that meets HIPAA regulations.  HIPAA is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.  These two rules are otherwise known as the ‘Standards for Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information’(Privacy Rule) and the ‘Security Standards for the Protection of Electronic Protected Health Information’(Security Rule). Because the software is managing protected health information, it's important that the software has passed HIPAA certfications.  It seems obvious, but think about all of the home made solutions out there.  While they are inexpensive, are they safe and do they meet HIPAA certs?  Chances are they don't and that puts your agency at risk.  We put together a checklist to use when checking out software to see if meets the HIPAA standards.  And if you're wondering, yes - MediSked Connect if fully HIPAA compliant!

Summer is winding down which means the year is coming closer to an end.  With that, in the start of the new year, major healthcare changes will roll out.  Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with Accountable Care Organizations, as they will play a big role in the healthcare world.  Also,  let’s not forget about the HIPAA, which also is updating and a key player in healthcare. 

There are a lot of factors and forces that come into play when making the switch to an Agency Management Platform.  One of the consistent forces is security and compliance.  This is not to say that you can't have a world class compliance and quality assurance program at your agency with manual and paper based methods.  You can and I've witnessed them firsthand.  But, compliance and QA goes beyond coming out of a clean audit.  While that's very important and software can absolutely help make that process more efficient, it's also important to look at the security of your clients' protected health information and private data that's only meant for the eyes of certain qualified employees.  So whether you just failed an audit and your manual methods are in disarray, or you run a tight ship and every 'i' is dotted and 't' crossed, there are still areas that a HIPAA compliant Agency Management Platform can help with.  Let's take a look.