The right to privacy is a fundamental human right. From something as basic as an individual’s online purchases to the treatment they seek from hospitals or doctors, all of this information can be kept confidential. Protecting the privacy of their patients is one of the topmost concerns of most hospitals and healthcare service providers. Phishing, malware, and ransomware are just some threats that can affect patients’ critical data, which may be stored in password-protected devices.
These security breaches can also happen when a healthcare service provider exchanges documents like consent forms with the patient via emails or other messaging services. Using the latest technology to keep patient information safe can reduce these security breaches. Digital signatures have taken things up a notch in terms of security. Read on to find out how.
Use of Digital Signatures in Healthcare Businesses
The patient and healthcare service provider must sign consent forms, admission and discharge forms, bills, and many other documents. Keeping hard copies of these documents is not feasible as they risk being lost or destroyed. This reason is why most healthcare service providers prefer to keep these documents as softcopies. Many software and applications have been developed to help get the patient’s signature on soft copies of documents while keeping them safe. It is recommended that healthcare service providers use HIPAA compliant Digital signature consultations during which the patient meets the doctor only virtually.
Digital signature software is a secure source of taking consent from a patient who is receiving healthcare services. As this software is HIPAA-compliant, any documents signed using them are legally binding in all places where the HIPAA compliance criteria are agreed upon and passed as a law. As a medical practitioner or healthcare service provider, you must make sure that you check to see if HIPAA compliant electronic signatures are accepted in the place where you are treating your patients. Several online signature makers may be available on the internet, but you must ensure using a HIPAA-compliant one. Doing this not only assures that your document is legally binding but also ensures that your document is secure during transactions and exchanges. This is why many healthcare service providers have switched to secure online signature makers in the last few years.
To Conclude
It is essential to take steps to ensure safety while exchanging sensitive information online. Digital Signature software, which also complies with the norms of the HIPAA, is just an added layer of security that can go a long way in making sure that you and your patient’s privacy is not compromised at any step of the treatment. If you have not switched to online signature makers yet, then you should do it soon.