Telehealth Compliance
In recent years, the prevalence of telemedicine as a viable option for healthcare services has risen exponentially. As such, the response from regulatory agencies has been just as profound, given the rapid shift from traditional brick and mortar medical services to a digital setting, industries must abide by a new scope of regulatory compliance in order to maintain legal obligations.
The head of compliance in the telemedicine industry must be well-versed in understanding the nuances of industry regulations and be capable of making suitable decisions regarding protocol implementation. According to the World Health Organization, the most effective way to ensure compliance is by incorporating a certification system into the telemedicine technology. Unfortunately, some organizations still opt to take a risk and forego the use of a certification software altogether.
The primary benefit of integrating certification into the technology involves the prevention of exceeding set limits with respect to safeguarding data and personal information. For instance, it is the role of the certification system to restrict the number of individuals who can access confidential medical records and information stored within the technology. Without such a limitation, the organization can be found in violation for allowing unauthorized personnel access.
On the other hand, a non-certified technology can also pose the risk of exposing patients to a heightened security risk. Medical data is often used for purposes beyond a patient’s medical needs. As such, third parties could opportunity upon access codes and other sensitive information without a proper certification system in place to secure the data from external interception. Therefore, not adhering to certification regulations can cause a severe level of patient distress given that the safety of their data would be in peril.
In addition, a lack of certification software can lead to unwanted disturbances in the clinical system. By not verifying technology or personnel entering the digital space, the risk of system malfunctions increases exponentially due to a deficiency of reliable components. Thus, any interruption in the system could cause a disruption in the healthcare services provided to the patient.
To conclude, it is essential that the telemedicine industry evaluates the risks of not utilizing a certification software when providing digital health services. Such measures are essential to ensure compliance to secure and reliable health information to patients and to protect the organization from legal ramifications.
