Doctor working with digital tablet and phone showing MDM and HIPAA

How MDM Can Be Pivotal To Maintain Data Security for HIPAA

Mobile devices have become indispensable, which is why even the healthcare sector relies on these devices in several ways. Digital devices have enabled the healthcare sector to replace paper-based documents with electronic records. These confidential medical records however need to be well-secured to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. Studies show that between 2009 and 2022, health organizations in the US suffered over 5,000 data breaches affecting over 342 million medical records. The rising number of medical data breaches has led to the introduction of HIPAA law in the United States, and the HIPAA Security Rule, especially to secure electronic patient information from being misused. Over the years, MDM solutions for healthcare have proven to be pivotal in aiding organizations to achieve compliance with HIPAA standards.

What Is HIPAA?

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act or HIPAA of 1996, applicable all over the United States, is a federal law protecting sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent. The prime intentions behind creating this law were to improve the portability and accountability of health insurance coverage and prevent fraud in healthcare insurance and delivery.

The HIPAA privacy rule

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) introduced the HIPAA Privacy Rule to successfully implement the requirements of HIPAA. The HIPAA Privacy rule sets guidelines for the use and disclosure of patients’ protected healthcare information (PHI) by certain covered entities such as healthcare providers, organizations that extend health plans, business associates, etc. It also contains rights for the patients to understand how their health information is being used.

The HIPAA security rule

The HIPAA Security Rule is issued to protect a subset of information covered by the HIPAA Privacy Rule. This subset includes all the health information created, received, stored or transmitted electronically by the covered entities. In other words, the HIPAA Security Rule mandates the protection of electronic protected healthcare information (e-PHI) and is not applicable to oral or written PHI. Since modern-day healthcare is evolving to be highly digital, the HIPAA Security rule mandates the protection of patient information and prevents it from being misused.

How does MDM help to ensure HIPAA compliance?

Modern-day healthcare organizations make use of versatile devices to optimize their operations and deliver high-quality healthcare services. The HIPAA requirements affect all types of devices, and violations of the act can lead to serious legal and financial penalties depending on the nature of the violation.

To ensure that the patient information being generated, stored and exchanged is secure, healthcare organizations are rapidly implementing mobile device management (MDM solutions). MDM solutions allow healthcare IT admins to push extensive security policies and tailor the usage of their diverse types of devices to ensure that the data stored on them is secured efficiently.

Let’s understand how MDM for healthcare plays a role in ensuring HIPAA compliance:

1.    Configure passcode policies

Medical professionals, caregivers and healthcare associates often use digital devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc. to view patient histories, medical records, insurance documents, etc. Enforcing the use of unique passwords on all the devices used by healthcare providers, as well as the associates working in healthcare organizations acts as the first line of defense against unauthorized access. MDM solutions allow healthcare IT admins to configure the password complexity and duration for password renewal to ensure that the passwords used by healthcare professionals are not easy to decode.

2.    Encrypt your sensitive data

Encryption converts data into cryptic code that cannot be deciphered unless the user authenticates himself. Healthcare organizations must ensure data encryption of their protected healthcare information to ensure zero compromises even if devices are hacked or lost. MDM solutions allow healthcare IT admins to push data encryption policies on all of their hospital-issued or BYO devices.

3.    Secure lost devices

Regardless of whether the sensitive patient data is encrypted on all devices, hospital IT admins must always take extra measures to not let the data remain stored on devices that have been lost. It is only a matter of time before malicious actors can lay their hands on this data. MDM solutions allow hospital IT admins to push exceptional security capabilities such as remote device locking and remote data wiping. This ensures that despite being lost, the data stored on the devices does not fall in the wrong hands.

4.    Ensure timely OS and app updates

OS and app updates are tedious and consume a lot of IT time and effort. However, they are equally important to ensure that your devices and apps are in the best shape, from a security perspective. Regular software updates ensure that no system vulnerabilities are left unpatched. Similarly, app developers fix security loopholes and introduce newer features with every app version. Healthcare organizations can simplify and hasten the tedious OS and app update process on all their devices by scheduling updates using the MDM dashboard.

5.    Restrict access to apps and websites

Doctors, caregivers, hospital staff and healthcare associates are humans at the end of the day. You cannot completely negate human errors when designing your security framework. Differentiating between genuine mobile apps and websites from malicious ones is a tricky job.

MDM solutions help healthcare IT admins push a limited set of secure apps on their employees’ mobile devices to prevent them from downloading untrusted apps from unknown sources. Similarly, suspicious websites can be blocked to ensure a safe browsing experience for healthcare professionals.

6.    Mitigate network risks

Healthcare records contain confidential patient information. Healthcare organizations can secure their networks by taking strict measures such as enforcing VPN mandates. You can configure VPN settings for all the devices in your organization to ensure that no suspicious traffic gets entry into your network.

Closing lines

Let your patient’s sensitive data not be misused simply because you don’t have the right security infrastructure. Implement an efficient MDM solution that helps you reinforce your security posture and prioritize your patient data security. MDM helps the healthcare sector in its efforts to secure patient information by being HIPAA compliant.

Disclaimer: This article is not a guide to reaching compliance with regulations like HIPAA or local state laws and the information in it does not constitute legal advice. It is intended for quick tips on achieving compliance with MDM. Please seek legal counsel and specific technical expertise to learn the best ways to comply in your case.