HIPAA Information

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A word on HIPAA Compliance

Many doctors and their staff have been looking for the right “HIPAA Compliant” software that will     magically transform their office into being “HIPAA Compliant”.  The fact is that software and/or hardware, by definition, cannot be “HIPAA Compliant”.  Many vendors take advantage of the current hype surrounding HIPAA and often mislead their clients by claiming that their software is “HIPAA Compliant”.  It is important to understand that the term “HIPAA Compliance” refers to an organizational obligation and not a technical specification as some vendors imply.

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Features in our Brickell software that can help address HIPAA-related issues:  

Automatic Logoff Option – Users get automatically logged off of the Brickell software if they leave their software running past “global” office hours which you can define.

Screensaver Initiated Logoff Option – Users get automatically logged off when their screensavers go active.  This way you can set the screensaver to activate after a predetermined period of inactivity which can be used as a trigger to automatically log users off of the Brickell software.

Encrypted Passwords – User passwords are now encrypted and they cannot by seen by any other user, not even by the administrator.  An administrator with access to the Security Manager can however reset a user’s password at any time.

User Changeable Passwords – Individual users can change their own passwords.  No administrative intervention is necessary.  

Security Manager – Since the introduction of Brickell Medical Office, Brickell Scheduler, and Brickell Scheduler Pro, the software has been equipped with a Security Manager that allows you to assign or deny access to different parts of the software.

Usage Log – Almost all user activity is recorded and stamped with the date and time of each event, along with the user id.  This log is available to system administrators with access to the security manager.

Privacy Mode – Users of Brickell Scheduler now have a “Privacy” button, that once clicked it hides the Patient Information box on the Scheduler and replaces any appointment information with a “Privacy Mode” label.  To bring the information back to the scheduler the user simply clicks on the “Privacy” button again.  This allows the user to display the scheduler, but hide patient information should other patients or non-staff members be present.

HIPAA Agreement Signed – In the Patient Demographics section there is now a checkbox for     indicating that the patient has signed the HIPAA agreement.  There are reports available from the scheduler and the report generator that provide a list of patients and whether or not they have signed their HIPAA agreement. This is also listed on several scheduler reports and on a “List of Patients     (HIPAA)” report available from the Report Generator in the “List / Patient Reports” section.  Also, an indicator is used on the Scheduler that lights up green if the patient has their HIPAA Agreement signed and lights up red if they have not yet signed it.

HIPAA Memo – If you click on the HIPAA indicator on the Scheduler, a HIPAA Memo will pop up.      Users can use this memo to store HIPAA-related information, such as the names and phone numbers of individuals or organizations that the patient has authorized or prohibited the sharing of patient information.

Optional NSF / ANSI Eclaims Module – Brickell’s existing NSF Eclaims module has been enhanced to support the HIPAA required ANSI 837 4010 standard. Users of Brickell’s NSF Eclaims Module that are under an active software maintenance agreement will be upgraded to ANSI at no additional charge.

Optional ANSI Remittance Module – Brickell’s Direct Electronic Remittance Module is designed to support the HIPAA required ANSI 835 standard for electronic claims remittance.  

Secure Remote Control – Should you need remote assistance from Brickell Research Technical     Support, we now include encrypted VNC for HIPAA compliant remote control of your software over the Internet.

Restrict Access to Patient Social Security Numbers – From Brickell’s Security Manager, you can assign which users can have access to patient SSNs.  Users without access to SSNs will show them as “Hidden” throughout the software and in reports they generate.

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 Last Update: 2/2/2010

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