Always HIPAA-Compliant: Cloud Security You Can Trust

Overview

The client, based in the United States, specializes in offering web-based technology services tailored for medical practice management applications. Specifically, they focused on delivering comprehensive enterprise solutions designed to automate the workflow processes of pathology laboratories.

The client is looking to enhance their platform by enabling healthcare organizations to exchange healthcare data efficiently in various formats such as HL7, CCD, XML, and JSON. Due to the larger size of these files, a direct exchange may not be feasible. Consequently, they aimed to integrate their platform with laboratories to facilitate seamless data exchange across all formats.

Business challenges

The client wants to integrate their platform with laboratories to facilitate seamless data exchange across all formats because the client has faced the following challenges:

• Complex Data Exchange Requirements

  Dealing with diverse healthcare data formats like HL7, CCD, XML, and JSON presents challenges in standardization and interoperability, complicating data exchange processes.

• Handling Large File Sizes

  Healthcare data files, especially those containing medical images or extensive patient records, can be sizable and challenging to exchange efficiently.

• Ensuring Data Security and Compliance

  Exchanging sensitive healthcare data mandates strict adherence to security and compliance standards (such as HIPAA), necessitating robust encryption and privacy measures.

Solution

Thinkitive's business analysts and subject matter experts started with the requirement analysis (Discovery) phase. The thinkitive team took multiple calls with the client and created detailed requirement documents along with multiple use cases. Thinkitive established a team of professionals with expertise in frontend and backend development.

The thinkitive team has been suggested to integrate laboratories with clients existing platforms by using a cloud server, including an S3 bucket that will collect and Store all health data from multiple laboratories, including HL7, CCD, XML, and JSO. And exchange it with multiple healthcare organizations.

• Developed AWS Cloud Environment

  The thinkitive team has developed a secured AWS cloud environment to exchange patient health data uploaded by external laboratories. AWS environment includes the client's Virtual machine, which will collect data from the external laboratory server and transfer it to the client's database. These data will be easily accessible by the client application as requested.

• Created S3 Bucket to Exchange Large-Size Files

  The thinkitive team has been integrating external labs and their server with the S3 bucket server to store large files which can not be shared by Mirthconnect, which is directly connected to the client's database. These files can be exchanged with the client database using S3 Bucket as requested by the client application.

• Integrated Client Application with Multiple Labs Using Mirth Connect

  The Thinkitive team has done integration for client applications with multiple libraries using Mirth connect. This integration can exchange the metadata related to patient health data and transfer it to the client DB. This data will be easily accessible to the provider using their application.

• Secured Cloud AWS Environment Using VPN

  The thinkitive team has added VPN security for the AWS cloud environment to ensure patient health data security. Any external laboratory wanting to share or upload data must verify using a VPN connection.

• HIPAA-compliant Secure Data Sharing

  Thinkitive has provided this solution by following all HIPAA-compliant guidelines, which will make sure security of the data to be exchanged.

Value Delivered

• Cloud environment enables storing and exchanging any large patient data file.

• Easy labs to easily upload patient reports and make them available for provider review.

• Data security has been optimized since cloud access requires a VPN connection.