Monday, September 10, 2012

Medical Records Storage During a Move

Professionals in the medical field are well aware of their responsibility to safeguard patient information. In addition to the hefty fines that come along with a privacy breach, as much as $1,500 per incident, there are moral and ethical considerations that clients take very seriously when it comes to medical records storage and the protection of their personal information. With identity theft on the rise and highly confidential medical data at stake, any business that handles medical records must exercise the most stringent storage and security precautions in every aspect of day-to-day operations.
This is especially critical during the disruption and confusion that can accompany a move. With normal protocols on temporary hold, strangers handling the physical move, and records undergoing transfer from one location to another, privacy breaches are all too common during relocations. Patients have found their information compromised and their identities stolen, which is notoriously difficult to repair. In addition, such incidents are well-publicized in the media, resulting in a public relations nightmare for healthcare providers.
Choosing the Right Office Mover to Handle Medical Records Storage
When moving healthcare-related files, most hospitals, medical centers, labs, and physicians' offices employ a logistically complex strategy that incorporates the services of standard office movers with the services of a medical records storage company. Unfortunately, this method is rarely error-free, as standard office movers lack the expertise required to properly protect confidential files, and most records management companies lack the manpower to complete a full office move.
The only relocation solution that offers a complete, highly secure, end-to-end move for all building contents-including patient records-is a hybrid version of the two: a best-in-class, elite office mover and medical records storage company. The highly skilled professionals of such companies are fully versed in the protection of patient files and employee data, and they have completed extensive training in HIPAA requirements. Two of the most critical points include the following:
• Any entity that handles protected health information, referred to as PHI, is responsible for its handling by any third-party vendors.
• Access to records or documents containing PHI must be controlled at all times, even during relocation.
In short, any breach of confidentiality is the healthcare provider's responsibility, making moving confidential documents a delicate task. Selecting a moving company that also handles medical records storage ensures the expertise necessary to protect patients, stockholders, employees, and the board of directors.
Regulatory Compliance
Unlike standard office movers, those with medical records storage and transport experience understand the regulations that surround PHI. For example, the laws around printed material are precise in their requirements for keeping confidential records safe in transit. Only the most highly skilled office movers have the training and manpower necessary to oversee the proper packaging of documents. They also have the infrastructure in place to ensure that no medical records are ever left unattended and are always in compliance with regulations.
Keeping sensitive data safe during a move cannot be left to a patched together plan that includes multiple vendors with various responsibilities. The only guaranteed way to transport PHI without risk is to entrust it to experts in both the moving and medical records storage fields.

1 comment:


  1. Thanks for making such a cool post which is really very well written.will be referring a lot of friends about this.Keep blogging.

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