Custom EHR Development: Interoperability, Security & Compliance


meta-1024x538 Custom EHR Development: Interoperability, Security & Compliance

Despite the high adoption rate of EHR software systems in the healthcare industry, interoperability still remains a critical issue in the healthcare landscape. According to a study, almost 69% of providers experience problems in establishing smooth connections between other practices and local systems.

Moreover, almost 80% of critical medical errors are often the results of miscommunication during care transitions. This has been the driving factor of healthcare practices shifting to custom healthcare software solutions and especially custom EHR software systems.

This shift has not only allowed healthcare practices to address their specific needs and requirements but also solve the pre-existing issues in the evolving healthcare landscape. The major issues being the interoperability, security and adhering to regulatory compliances, EHR development solves these issues while also contributing to enhancing better care practices. However, that is the topic for another blog on building your own EHR.

In this blog, let’s explore the interoperability, security and compliance facets as best practices for EHR development and overcoming EHR implementation hurdles.

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Interoperability – The Key to Seamless Data Exchange

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Interoperability in a nutshell is the ability of the computer system to seamlessly connect and exchange information with other disparate systems. Given the collaborative nature of the healthcare industry, achieving interoperability can solve the issue of collaborative care.

With interoperability, every member of the care team is brought on the same to work together towards the same goal which is to provide better care. However, achieving interoperability is easier said than done and can be a major challenge in EHR development. That is why many healthcare practices still complain about connectivity in the current healthcare systems.

Moreover, depending on your unique needs and requirements, you need to adopt different levels of interoperability. Here’s a quick overview for understanding interoperability better:

1. Foundational Interoperability: This is the basic level of interoperability that allows your system to seamlessly exchange data with one another without any errors. Perfectly suited for healthcare systems who just want to transmit and receive data from different healthcare systems.

2. Structural Interoperability: This level of interoperability focuses on the format and structure of the exchanged data, since different systems use different formats and structures to store data. Furthermore, it is more suitable for healthcare systems that define the common standards and protocols for data exchange such as HL7 FHIR, which are a crucial cornerstone of healthcare interoperability.

3. Semantic Interoperability: This level of interoperability focuses on the meaning of data that is being exchanged between the systems. In simple terms, with semantic interoperability, your system and connected systems get the ability to understand the data while sending and receiving. Semantic interoperability involves using common vocabularies and ontologies to represent the data in a consistent way.

With a basic understanding of the level of interoperability, you can easily choose the one that suits your healthcare system the best. However, the importance of interoperability standards and protocols such as HL7, FHIR or DICOM cannot be ignored. This helps in defining the data structure and can oftentimes be the deciding factor for your system to seamlessly exchange data.

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Robust Security Measure to Protect Sensitive Patient Data

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As a healthcare professional, you know the importance of sensitive patient data. Furthermore, improving patient care with custom EHR, it automatically becomes your responsibility to safeguard patient information and to ensure EHR data security with ethical use.

Moreover, when you exchange this information with disparate healthcare systems, there is a high chance that the data might get breached. This might not only compromise the privacy of the patients but also impact the practice in many ways, such as reputation damage and even hefty fines.

To overcome these common security threats, here are some of the robust security measures that you can take to protect sensitive patient data:

1. Encryptions: By implementing robust encryption algorithms you can easily encrypt data into a new and unreadable format called as cipher text, where even if the data is breached during transmission it cannot be read unless you have the key. The key is shared between healthcare IT systems, which ensures the integrity of data and adds another layer of protection.

2. Access Controls: The threat of unauthorized access is another concern that many healthcare providers face. By implementing role-based access control, you can ensure EHR data security by only allowing authorized personnel to access data.

3. Regular Security Audits: While your system deals with patient data, it also generates some data of its own. A sneak-peek into it can give you access to deeper insights that might help you in identifying loopholes in your security system. By conducting regular security audits, you can easily identify and address these gaps in system security.

Last but not least, one of the best practices to strengthen the security of your custom EHR software is by adhering to the regulatory requirements such as HIPAA, GDPR, HITECH Act, etc. With your EMR software developers complying by these guidelines, you can ensure all the security measures are taken and help you seamlessly navigate through the healthcare IT security ecosystem and also legal landscape.

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Compliance with Healthcare Regulations

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As the technological landscape is evolving, it is changing the healthcare IT landscape also. This is one of the major reasons why the regulatory landscape of healthcare IT is complex as well as ever changing. However, in this transition age of digital healthcare practices, key regulations govern the security and ethical use of healthcare data.

Some of the key regulations that you need to adhere to are:

1. HIPAA: It stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. It was passed by the government of the USA, and its purpose is to protect sensitive patient health information (PHI). The key provisions in this involve a privacy rule that sets standards for the ethical use and safeguarding of PHI and a security rule for protecting PHI on physical, technical, and administrative levels. Last but not least, a breach notification rule involves notifying the Department of Health and Human Services of breaches if they take place.

2. HITECH Act: HITECT Act stands for Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, and it promotes the adoption and meaningful use of health information technology. It is quite similar to HIPAA and looks after the enforcement of the HIPAA along with breach notification and ethical use of EHR systems.

3. GDPR: GDPR stands for General Data Protection Regulation, which is quite similar to HIPAA but is regulated by the European Union. It aims to protect the privacy rights of individuals with the European Union and the European Economic Area.

Furthermore, given that your custom EHR software will majorly deal with sensitive patient health information, your system will need to have robust data privacy, security and accessibility policies. By adhering to these policies, you can easily ensure the privacy and security of the data and also HIPAA compliant EHR software development.

Last but not the least, it is important to comply with the necessary and relevant regulations because non-compliance can lead to penalties, which are hefty fines in most cases.

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The Future of Custom EHR Development

As discussed earlier, the technological landscape is constantly changing and while the emerging trends like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and IoT dictate the terms, it is most likely to impact the healthcare IT landscape. Moreover, the application of these technologies in healthcare can be seen in use and have made a significant impact as well. Keeping updated with technological advancements is one of the best ways to future-proof EHR software development.

However, the more these technologies will take the centre stage, it is most likely that they will shape the future of EHR development. This will have a direct impact on the regulatory landscape, which makes it even more important for your stay updated with these latest technologies and regulatory landscape.

Conclusion

You see, healthcare delivery works in collaborative frameworks where everything is dependent on other healthcare service providers. Here as the healthcare landscape is slowly transforming into a digital ecosystem, achieving interoperability is crucial and while achieving interoperability, ensuring security is the additional responsibility that comes with it.

Having said that, to ensure the security of the system, adhering to the compliances such as HIPAA, GDPR, HITECT Act and other relevant regulations is one of the best practices to adopt to easily navigate through the security infrastructure and also legal landscape.

On that note, you’ve probably made the right decision by choosing a custom EHR software development approach. And if you’re still looking for a healthcare software development vendor, then you might have just come to the right place. Click here to get your free consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How can I ensure my custom EHR is HIPAA compliant?

To ensure HIPAA compliance for a custom EHR, prioritize data security measures like encryption, access controls, and regular audits. Implement robust training programs for staff on HIPAA regulations and data handling protocols. Maintain thorough documentation of security measures and compliance efforts.

2. What security measures should I consider for my custom EHR?

For custom EHR security, prioritize:

  • Data encryption: Protect data both at rest and in transit.
  • Strong access controls: Implement multi-factor authentication and role-based access.
  • Regular security audits: Identify and address vulnerabilities.
  • Employee training: Educate staff on security best practices.
  • Incident response plan: Prepare for and respond to security breaches effectively.
3. How can I ensure interoperability with other healthcare systems?

To ensure interoperability, choose an EMR system that adheres to industry standards like HL7 FHIR. Prioritize systems with proven track records of successful data exchange with other healthcare providers and organizations.

4. What is the cost of developing a custom EHR?

Developing a custom EHR can be expensive, with costs ranging from tens of thousands to millions of dollars. Factors influencing cost include system complexity, desired features, development team expertise, and ongoing maintenance requirements.

5. What is the role of AI and machine learning in EHR development?

AI and machine learning in EHRs enable:

  • Predictive analytics: Identify at-risk patients and potential health issues.
  • Clinical decision support: Provide real-time guidance for diagnosis and treatment.
  • Automated tasks: Streamline data entry, coding, and other administrative functions.
  • Personalized medicine: Tailor treatment plans to individual patient needs.
  • Improved care coordination: Facilitate communication and collaboration among providers.
6. What are the best practices for EHR implementation?

Best practices for EHR implementation include:

  • Thorough planning: Involve all stakeholders and define clear goals.
  • Training and support: Provide comprehensive training for all staff.
  • Go-live support: Offer ongoing support during and after implementation.
  • Data migration: Ensure accurate and timely transfer of patient data.
  • Regular reviews: Continuously evaluate and optimize EHR usage.
  • Prioritize user feedback: Incorporate user feedback for ongoing improvements.
7. How can I measure the ROI of a custom EHR?

To measure the ROI of a custom EHR, track key metrics such as:

  • Reduced administrative costs: Analyze savings on paper, postage, and manual data entry.
  • Increased revenue: Monitor improvements in billing accuracy and reimbursement rates.
  • Improved efficiency: Measure the time saved on tasks like scheduling and data retrieval.
  • Enhanced patient satisfaction: Track patient feedback and satisfaction scores.
  • Better clinical outcomes: Analyze data on patient health outcomes and identify areas for improvement.
8. What are the future trends in EHR technology?

The future of EHRs will likely see increased integration of artificial intelligence (AI), greater emphasis on patient engagement, and enhanced interoperability. AI can assist with tasks like data analysis, diagnosis, and treatment planning, while patient engagement tools will empower individuals to actively participate in their healthcare. Interoperability will improve data sharing across systems, leading to more coordinated care.

Anita Kankate

Business Analyst

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