5 Ways That Hospitals Can Protect Their Patients
Most patients regard hospitals as safe establishments that always have the patients’ best interests in mind. However, hospitals need to provide more than a secure building to protect their tenants. With telemedicine becoming more prevalent and more patients communicating with hospital employees online, hospitals should adopt a security plan that includes physical and online protection. You can examine how hospitals can protect their patients in the following sections.
1. Cybersecurity
Although most patients meet with medical professionals in person, some rely on video chats or conferences for medical services. Speaking with a doctor about sensitive medical topics is not something you want a stranger to overhear, but unfortunately, video meetings have been hacked by cybercriminals. Keeping your online connections secure requires a trusted cybersecurity program. What is cybersecurity? The short answer is it’s your best defense against online criminals who want to steal your patients’ data and wipe out their bank accounts. Video meetings are typically less vulnerable to hackers than weak or outdated company networks or systems. Patient files that include personal data, credit card numbers and account numbers are the primary targets for cybercriminals. By hiring an experienced security provider, you can protect your patient’s medical history and contact information. Cybersecurity firms over several different options and service packages, but you need a plan that covers your employees and patients. Most basic protection plans are intended for individual users or small groups, but a busy hospital requires a security plan that includes virus protection, online monitoring, network safeguards and exceptional customer service.
2. Password Protection
To protect the patients’ privacy and minimize fraudulent accounts and charges, you can improve password protection on your website. Requiring users to produce multiple forms of ID to verify their passwords can reduce the frequency of fake accounts. However, security experts also recommend changing your password periodically. You can email your patients instructions on how to create strong passwords and politely ask them to change the password regularly. It may seem hard to convince patients to update their passwords every one or two years, but most are used to other companies’ requests and are usually happy to change them.
3. Paper Receipts
With a secure website, you can issue digital receipts or invoices to patients online. Digital invoicing saves space, protects the environment and prevents a criminal from digging a paper receipt out of the garbage. Any invoices or documents that cannot be transferred to a digital format should be in a secure area with limited access points. Your staff can also drop outdated receipts in a paper shredder to protect account numbers and other sensitive patient data.
4. Employee Training and Monitoring
Another way to protect your patients is to maintain a high standard in your hiring and training practices. Your staff interacts with the patients in person and online. A heartless employee could steal from a patient when their items are moved after they’re admitted or access their account online to steal an account number. Hiring staff should involve multiple interviews, thorough background checks and examining social media posts. You learn more about a candidate when you meet several times to form a more accurate opinion. Social media can also help identify red flags and inappropriate actions that you want to avoid seeing in your staff. One offensive post may convince you that a candidate should not interact with patients or employees. Spending more on training and hiring may seem excessive, but it pays off when you have a skilled staff who cares about the patients.
5. Security Systems
Hospitals can be hectic places on an average day, and the staff and patients shouldn’t have to worry about their safety. Have a high-quality security system installed that allows you to monitor several interior and exterior spaces. Security guards are an essential part of your security, but they can handle emergencies and respond quicker with a top-notch system.
Keeping your patients safe requires a combination of online and physical protection. After implementing the previous techniques, you can stay focused on treating your patients.
