Telehealth has ushered in a new era of patient care. A recent CMS report from 2021 indicated that a staggering 68 million telehealth services were delivered during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rapid growth has spurred the growth of an invaluable service for both patients and providers alike. However, telehealth is not without risks to the healthcare industry.
As the use of telehealth services for healthcare delivery grows, healthcare consumers and healthcare providers alike must address some of the most pressing privacy concerns. Healthcare organizations collect and maintain mass amounts of protected health information each day and rely on secure software to store, transmit, and conduct telehealth services.
Patients trust their providers and, in turn, the software and services they utilize to protect their sensitive health information. For these reasons, it is imperative to consider these healthcare privacy and security concerns to protect patient privacy.
Addressing Privacy Concerns in a New Era of Medicine
Telehealth is an expansive industry that has seen unprecedented growth in recent years. From virtual patient care to synchronous virtual learning, medicine has ushered in a new era of leveraging technology to connect patients and providers to ensure top-quality care.
With each of these unique features of telemedicine platforms, there are privacy risks to address through software development. Health information technology has an ethical responsibility to address privacy and security risks that are clearly established through the standardized HIPAA privacy rule.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) enables healthcare providers to share and protect patient information in the pursuit of health care delivery. However, healthcare providers are not allowed to disclose protected information, meaning securing and protecting any information collected or stored in the virtual health system is paramount.
Privacy Risks in Telehealth: Understanding the Landscapes
Unfortunately, patient data is a trove of information that poses substantial risks to patient safety. Health care organizations must remain vigilant in protecting patient information as they utilize telehealth services. There are a slew of data security issues that could impact patient safety, including phishing scams, mobile threats, and unsecured medical devices.
Understanding the privacy and security risks is the first step in protecting patients’ most vulnerable information. Healthcare organizations should consider performing a risk assessment that will help to identify weak points in their telehealth services. Here are some things to consider when assessing data privacy and security threats: phishing scams, data breaches, mobile threats, the IoT, and third-party risks.
Phishing Scams
It’s no secret that telehealth software and services store vast amounts of sensitive health information. Scammers will often impersonate legitimate telehealth services to get personal information and exploit users during their most vulnerable.
Scammers attempt to impersonate legitimate telehealth services in an effort to get patients to divulge sensitive information voluntarily. Scammers use ploys such as fake emails or texts to convince patients to offer health information. These scammers will use some very convincing tactics to scam users. The scammer will use common and convincing language to trick patients into sharing information or using and downloading malicious content.
Help users to avoid phishing scams by offering training sessions and checkpoints. Providing this information will help protect health care consumers and ensure that scammers do not hamper organizations. Send out regular threat alerts and report on any known phishing scams.
Data Breaches
Data breaches are a constant threat, especially for those holding sensitive health information. There are multiple avenues that hackers may use to breach your services and gain access to private data.
Ensure that your software is protected with robust and updated security measures. Also, ensure that your team is up to date on the practices in place to maintain the integrity of your data and that they are well-trained on the privacy and security practices in place.
Mobile Threats
The goal of telehealth services is to make healthcare accessible and collaborative. Patients are able to use their mobile devices to access healthcare services quickly and easily. However, mobile devices introduce new threats.
Hackers can easily attack mobile phones to gain access to sensitive health information kept in files, applications, and websites stored and accessed on mobile devices. it is essential to use preventative measures to ensure safe access to sensitive health information via mobile devices.
The Internet of Things
The Internet of Things (IoT) has revolutionized patient care and is frequently used for telemedicine platforms. For each point of connection, however, there is one more access point for hackers to leverage. Threats related to the IoT impact both patients and primary care physicians.
Healthcare systems must consider each point of connection, such as smart TVs, equipment, and remote services. Patients must also protect themselves when leveraging the IoT. Using the IoT certainly offers patients many benefits. However, each device connected to the IoT potentially exposes their private medical information to hackers.
To combat threats to IoT, we recommend robust network security strategies. We also recommend health systems require user training and regular system enhancements to maintain best practices and protect patient privacy.
Heightened Third-Party Risks
Healthcare consumers take on additional risks in using telehealth software. Third-party risks are heightened as patients utilize telemedicine services. Users are at risk that unauthorized users may access data as it is collected, stored, or transmitted during things like remote monitoring.
Each action opens the user to the risk of data breach. It is important to safeguard your company and, most importantly, the patient by enhancing privacy and security protections at each point of connection.
Safeguarding Privacy in Telehealth Software Development: Best Practices
Despite the risks, telehealth offers countless benefits to patients and providers. A robust system of security measures is essential to ensure the privacy of the user, health care system, and telehealth companies themselves.
Keeping sensitive data safe is a collaborative effort. There are multiple angles from which data may be breached. First, establish thorough provider practices to ensure that medical staff are equipped to assist patients in using telehealth technology.
Next, restrict access to any collected or stored information by ensuring data is protected with both encryption and multi-factor authentication. Data should be protected from threats while at rest and while in transit. Utilize industry-standard encryption and authentication protocols to prevent unauthorized users from accessing patient data.
Regular training and programs for staff will help maintain a high level of adherence to protocols and help healthcare providers stay up to date with current requirements. Ensure that providers and staff are trained on compliance regulations such as the HIPAA security rule, where adherence is non-negotiable.
Moreover, limit access to unauthorized users. Restrict access to patient data by keeping updated access control measures to ensure that only necessary parties are able to access sensitive patient information.
Adopting these best practices will ensure that telehealth technologies are used as intended to provide a secure environment where patients are able to access the best healthcare while ensuring patient privacy and data security.
Provider Practices
There are a multitude of best practices to consider, but they each begin with some general practices that the provider can participate in. Providers should ensure the privacy of their patients by helping to advocate for their privacy.
Help patients maintain their own privacy by providing tips and information on security and private facilities for telehealth services. If you notice the patient may be jeopardizing their privacy, recommend the appointment be rescheduled.
It is also the responsibility of providers and their healthcare systems to ensure that private information is shared only over secure channels. Make sure to use only secure websites that hide personal and health information that are accessed only with password verifications. Require up-to-date antivirus software for both yourself and your patients.
Enabling Multi-factor Authentication for Enhanced Security
Enabling multi-factor authentication within telehealth platforms is an essential step toward enhancing security and safeguarding the privacy and security of sensitive medical information. By implementing multi-factor authentication, telehealth services add an extra layer of protection beyond traditional methods.
This additional layer often involves a second form of verification, such as a unique code sent to a registered mobile device, or, in some cases, telehealth providers may even use biometric measures as a form of multi-factor authentication (MFA). MFA effectively mitigates the risk of unauthorized access, identity theft, and other fraudulent activities by significantly increasing the effort and difficulty for criminals to breach accounts.
As telehealth services become more integral to the healthcare industry, prioritize multi-factor authentication to boost your data security and create patient trust and confidence with clients and patients. Ensuring mobile health and data protection is at the top of the list of security concerns when it comes to protecting sensitive health data.
Restricting Access to Patient Data and Confidential Information
The goal of telehealth is to provide accessible and affordable medical services to patients while maintaining patient safety and the integrity of their information. Telehealth services must protect data. Telehealth platforms should implement robust access control measures that only grant access to sensitive information to authorized personnel.
There are many options to help protect patients’ health data. Role-based access controls are a valuable tool in restricting information from unauthorized users. Encryption and secure user protocols are other valuable tools in place to safeguard patient privacy during transmission and storage.
Once information is collected, it must be monitored and kept secure. Conduct regular audits and monitor access to patient data to help detect any unauthorized access and prevent any present or future attempts to breach sensitive information. Patient confidentiality is not only an ethical concern, but it absolutely necessary to remain legally compliant.
Ensuring Regulatory Compliance and Adhering to Standards
Regulatory compliance in telehealth services is the cornerstone for delivering remote healthcare. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, more commonly referred to as HIPAA, was enacted to establish strict standards and regulations for healthcare providers, insurers, and other related parties. These restrictions place safeguards on patients’ sensitive medical records and information.
At the core, HIPAA enacts a Privacy Rule, which sets forth guidelines for the use and disclosure of protected health information (PHI). The Security Rule, on the other hand, ensures that specific security measure is in place to safeguard electronic PHI.
In addition to federal regulations, telehealth providers must also adhere to and navigate state-specific regulations, licensing requirements, and other regulations that may vary from state to state. Staying compliant requires rigorous monitoring and adaptation to evolving legal frameworks and technological advancements.
Non-compliance can result in severe legal consequences. More importantly, it may erode patient trust and risk their most vulnerable and sensitive health information. Telemedicine services must prioritize regulatory compliance as an integral part of their operations to deliver safe, effective, and legally sound remote healthcare solutions.
Privacy is tantamount to delivering healthcare to patients. As the telehealth industry continues to grow and evolve, privacy and security must remain the most pressing concern. Providers and patients alike must work to protect private health information.
Work With Geneca Today
Navigating the security concerns can be overwhelming with the number of points of access introduced by telehealth services. Our team of professionals can work with you to create robust measures to protect sensitive data. Partnering with Geneca can help you to harness the vast potential of telehealth safely.