11 Feb 5 Questions to Ask About EHR Cloud Security
Ransomware reached a crisis level in 2019, according to Emsisoft, and Forescout recently predicted an increase in cyber attacks. The American Medical Collection Agency data breach impacted more than 25 million patients, leading to numerous investigations and lawsuits.
It’s critical that your eye care practice takes measures to protect against data theft. A key part of your data protection initiatives should involve EHR cloud security.
More than 80% of small businesses will use cloud technology in 2020, allowing them to use business apps similar to how they stream TV and music. When shopping around for ophthalmology and optometry EHR systems, there are certain questions you should ask to ensure your patients’ protected health information (PHI) is stored safely and securely.
We’ve compiled a list of cloud security questions to put at the top of your list before deciding on an ophthalmology or optometry EHR software provider.
1. How secure is your EHR software?
Does your EHR vendor encrypt any data you’ll be inputting into the software system? This is important if you want your patient data to truly be safe from data breaches.
Data protection practices should include making sure your data is securely transmitted and stored, and that data is regularly monitored for ongoing security.
The optometry EHR company you select must take data security seriously. Ask if they encrypt data backups and data at rest (inactive data stored physically in any digital format) and if the EHR software includes built-in functionality that adheres to HIPAA requirements for user access controls, privacy, and security.
2. How do you protect cloud EHR data?
Storing data in the cloud, rather than physical servers, provides enhanced data protection in the event of a data breach or unforeseen disaster.
With cloud-based eye care software, updates and patches happen automatically in the cloud, eliminating time-consuming manual processes and daily practices that put your system and data at risk. As a result, you have stronger security, automatic backup, and easier recovery.
MaximEyes EHR software protects your cloud data by using advanced antivirus tools, Microsoft® Azure security protection with anti-malware, cloud backup solutions, and firewall technologies that detect and stop ransomware threats from encrypting files.
Related: ROI Advantages of Using a Cloud-Based EHR at Your Practice
3. What is your disaster recovery plan?
Should a disaster occur, you want to feel confident that your EHR software will recover important patient data so you can continue to run your practice.
The optometry EHR you choose should have a thorough disaster recovery plan in place to keep your optometry practice running smoothly, despite whatever disaster might occur.
MaximEyes EHR software protects your cloud data with the Microsoft® Azure Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) cloud-based security solution, which backs up the last 30 days of your data. If a disaster should occur, data is typically recovered within 2–8 hours.
4. How often will you update your technology?
Cybercriminals are becoming more advanced in their approach. Eye care professionals must continue to advance the technology they use each year and keep up with the pace as threats to patient privacy increase.
Optometry practices need to be more strategic and stealthy when it comes to managing patient data and keeping it safe from those threats. The optometry EHR software vendor you choose should be knowledgeable about updating old systems and software regularly.
5. Will I sign a Business Associate Agreement?
Much like you would when using certain Google™ products like G Suite in your eye care practice, your EHR vendor should prompt you to sign a Business Associate Agreement.
This step ensures proper compliance with HIPAA privacy and security rules that pertain to protected health information (PHI) so you know any patient data that is transmitted inside the EHR software is protected—and that both you and the EHR vendor are in compliance.
Our HIPAA Risk Assessment Checklist for Eye Care Professionals and HIPAA Compliance Guide for Eye Care Professionals reviews several steps you must take to protect the privacy and electronic security of PHI.
Your Cloud Data is Secure With MaximEyes
Now that you know exactly what questions to ask your future ophthalmology or optometry EHR vendor about cloud security, you can start collecting information about your top choices.
Find a partner that monitors and adheres to secure cloud data protection, backup, and disaster recovery. Look for a product team that strives to stay current with privacy and security measures to ensure the ongoing protection of your data.
With an EHR cloud security vendor like MaximEyes, rest assured your data is safe and secure. Request a demo to see how we value your security as a key part of our partnership.
