By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    improving patient experience
    6 Ways to Improve Patient Satisfaction Within Hospitals
    December 1, 2021
    degree for healthcare job
    What Are The Health Benefits Of Having A Degree?
    March 9, 2022
    custom software development is changing healthcare
    Digital Customer Journey Mapping and its Importance for Healthcare
    July 21, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Can Thinking Younger Make You Live Longer?
    April 20, 2011
    Image
    Obesity’s Outlook Unchanged
    June 13, 2011
    When It’s An Emergency Elderly Not Treated As Well in Hospitals
    July 16, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Assuring Safe Patient Health Information (PHI) in Radiology
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Medical Records > Assuring Safe Patient Health Information (PHI) in Radiology
Medical RecordsRadiologyTechnology

Assuring Safe Patient Health Information (PHI) in Radiology

Andy Salmen
Last updated: August 14, 2014 8:11 am
Andy Salmen
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE

ID-100259388PHI may be referred to as “personal health information” or “patient health information”, and both of these acronyms are technically true, as the information in question is personal to the patient.

Contents
Keep Software/Security UpdatedEmployee Training and Education

ID-100259388PHI may be referred to as “personal health information” or “patient health information”, and both of these acronyms are technically true, as the information in question is personal to the patient. However, according to the HIPAA Privacy Rule, PHI is short for “protected health information”.  The HIPAA website says information includes: “patient names, addresses, and all information pertaining to the patients’ health and payment records.” It can also extend to financial information, SSN numbers, and even photos of patients.

Keeping this information private and secure is essential in order to avoid negative repercussions for the patient (should their personal, medical and/or financial information fall into the wrong hands) and to avoid civil and criminal penalties which could be incurred if a practice fails to comply with HIPAA Rules.

So ask yourself, “How can my practice keep PHI under wraps?” Below are several areas in which a healthcare provider can focus on in order to maintain security and stay compliant:

More Read

The Digital Health Revolution
The Impact Aging-in-Place Technology May Have on Your Senior Living Business
Small, Solo-Provider Practices Lag in EHR Adoption
The Iceberg Waiting for Your Health Care Data
Accelerate SaMD product development with these regulatory strategy insights

Keep Software/Security Updated

To maintain PHI security a radiology practice should utilize measures such as:

  • Secure computer passwords (which should be kept confidential)
  • Updated anti-virus software
  • Regular data backups
  • Use of digital signatures
  • Encryption of data

In order to be sure that your practice is employing the most up-to-date methods it is important to keep abreast on current trends in healthcare information and technology.

Employee Training and Education

In this day and age, no healthcare practice, no matter how secure or cutting-edge their software is, is infallible to security breaches.  This is why keeping staff up-to-date on current standards via employee training is key to maintaining HIPAA compliance and maintaining PHI security.

It’s also advisable for a practice’s employees to be well-versed in procedures which may seem like common sense but which can be overlooked when working in a bustling healthcare practice. For example:

  • Both employees and providers should be advised against leaving copies of x-rays or other documents in the copier or fax machine for longer than necessary. Also, all fax numbers and email addresses should be carefully checked prior to use to avoid sending information to the wrong entity.
  • Patient information should never be discussed in public areas where it can be overheard.
  • Patient files and other patient documents should not be taken out of the office.
  • Computer passwords should not be shared with others or displayed anywhere.
  • Computers should be locked when not in use to avoid the chance of passerby viewing confidential information.

These points should be reinforced in order to avoid a personal health information (PHI) security breach.

Patients should be able to rest easy when sharing their personal information with healthcare providers. Adherence to guidelines, attention to detail and clear communication of what is required from employees in terms of PHI security will go a long way toward maintaining patient trust and staying compliant.

TAGGED:Health ITHIPAApatient privacyprotected health information
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Health
May 15, 2025
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction heart treatment
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction
Cardiology
May 13, 2025

You Might also Like

Medical InnovationsNews

Emmy-Winning Daytime Series, THE DOCTORS, To Reveal Results of a New Surgical Procedure for Parkinson’s Disease.

May 2, 2012
Medical Records

Should HIPAA Compliance Guard All Protected Medical Information?

December 30, 2013

Medical Megatrends – Stem Cells – Part II of III

July 29, 2012

Stem Cells Grow an Eye Retina

April 8, 2011
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?