Security / HIPAA Compliance
Emdat currently has two data centers in separate locations. Each data center has connections to the Internet backbone at separate access points. Both data centers are fully redundant in every respect (power, internet, servers, etc). In the event Emdat loses a data center, the other data center is more than capable of handling transactions and internet traffic. All information maintained on the Emdat servers is secure and only accessible by the managing client.
The Administrative Simplification provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, known as HIPAA, require the Department of Health and Human Services to establish national standards for electronic health care transactions and national identifiers for providers, health plans, and employers. It also addresses the security and privacy of health data. Adoption of these standards has greatly improved the efficiency and effectiveness of the nation's health care system by encouraging the widespread use of electronic data interchange in health care.
While HIPAA compliance is the responsibility of each and every healthcare organization, the Emdat system is dedicated to making it easier, safer and more cost-effective for them to reach that goal, by providing the technical controls and safeguards that support all of our clients' HIPAA compliance policies and procedures.
In fact, Emdat meets or exceeds all HIPAA requirements. Below are some of the things Emdat incorporates within our application to meet compliance.
- Security: 128-bit encryption used at all times for all files being transferred.
- Accessibility: All users have unique user names and passwords, with the option of using password rules.
- Auditing: All access to patient information is recorded for auditing capability. This includes edits, printing, viewing, etc.
In addition to our technological capabilities to help ensure your full HIPAA compliance, Emdat is committed to serving our clients as a knowledgeable and informed source regarding any changes in HIPAA regulations.
For more information regarding HIPAA and other governmental regulations regarding patient rights, safety and security, we encourage you to use the links below.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
http://www.os.dhhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
http://www.hipaa.org/
American Medical Association
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/4234.html