Closing medical offices to most routine consultations has resulted in a rise of telehealth services being offered to cover the gap. You can find these through private practices and your insurance company to get advice on what you can do at home to treat both the illnesses and routine concerns such as prescription renewals, seasonal allergies and minor injuries. They can also help you determine what warrants an office visit and what just needs home remedies and rest. Unfortunately, telehealth can also offer a security risk for your data such as medical, financial and identification information. So how can you be sure that it is secure?
Security on Medical Networks
Medical networks have been gradually moving towards a more integrated system which includes everything from the Internet of Medical Things to data sharing both within and between healthcare networks. However, few providers were fully prepared for such a drastic change from in-person visits to online ones. This has created a surge in demand for system security upgrades and changes to the networks used and more IT departments scrambling to keep up. To help you understand how secure your information is, it is a good idea to research IDS vs IPS as well as ask your providers which one they use. Intrusion Detection Systems monitor traffic and detect threats by comparing network activity to a database of known cyberthreats and Intrusion Prevention Systems accept or reject network packets based on that type of comparison.
Security on Your Home Network
Beefing up the security on your home network is always a good idea, and the more confidential information you send through that network, or have saved on connected devices, the more robust your security needs to be. You can set up firewalls, work with a Virtual Private Network and even find encryption software for your home network to make your data more secure. It is also a good idea to avoid mobile devices without added security when using telehealth services or checking your records through patient portals.
HIPAA Information Security
One of the fears regarding data during a pandemic is how much of your personal information is being shared and with whom. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, HIPAA, ensures that personal medical information cannot be shared without your express permission. For instance, only those with permissions on file can be notified in an emergency. Some of this information needs to be shared with public health officials to track who you have encountered if you have tested positive for a virus that is currently being tracked such as a pandemic, certain sexually transmitted diseases. This lets your loved ones know to get tested as well as allows the officials to map spread. Many people are concerned with this public safety versus privacy issue, but it can help to learn that only some organizations are allowed this HIPAA exception and only in specific instances.
Data Tracking Systems
The security of the systems tracking outbreaks has been tested throughout the digital age and continues to evolve as the threats do. Many of these systems contract with security professionals to incorporate the best encryption and threat protection solutions available. While some of the data tracking information is posted publicly on websites, the personal information the data is extrapolated from is kept secure and not usually attached to these graphs and charts. These tracking systems can be crucial in fighting outbreaks and pandemics as they give the professionals in charge an idea of how large the problem is and which locations need more help.
Protecting your medical information is an important privacy matter which is enshrined in the United States Constitution in the form of an amendment and later clarified with HIPAA passed in 1996. The security of the healthcare system, your home network and the public health tracking agencies all play into how easily hackers can gain this type of information as well as what can be stored and shared. It is a good idea to increase your home internet security as well as ask questions about the systems employed by your providers if you are concerned about data breaches.
