A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking concerning the accounting of disclosures requirement under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act HIPAA Privacy Rule, is accessible for public comment. The proposed rule would give people the appropriate to obtain a report on who has electronically accessed their protected wellness information.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is proposing changes towards Privacy Rule, pursuant towards Health Details Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. HITECH is part from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

“This proposed rule represents an significant step in our continued efforts to promote accountability across the wellness care system, ensuring that providers correctly safeguard individual wellness information,” said OCR Director Georgina Verdugo. “We need to protect peoples’ rights so that they know how their wellness details has been employed or disclosed.”

HITECH informs people to know who has accessed their protected health information.

People would obtain this details by requesting an entry report, which would post the specific people who electronically accessed and viewed their protected electronic medical records. While covered entities are currently required by the HIPAA Security Rule to track entry to electronic protected wellness information, they’re not required to share this details with people.

The proposed rule requires an accounting of additional detailed details for certain disclosures which are probably to affect a person’s rights or interests. The proposed changes towards accounting needs supply details of significance to people even though placing a reasonable burden on covered entities and organization associates.

People may perhaps now read the proposed rule at: http://www.federalregister.gov/ and submit comments to http://www.regulations.gov/ (search for Proposed Rule) through August 1, 2011.

1. Change your default administrator usernames or passwords with stronger ones. These are the key to access your Wi-Fi.
2. WPA/WEP encryption proves very useful for the security of your Wi-Fi network. All Wi-Fi networks support certain forms of encryption. These are specific for a particular network. This technology is basically converts the message into such form so that it cannot be read by humans. Chose a compatible WPA/WEP encryption only.
3. Change the default SSID as soon as possible as it provides a start to the hackers to break into your network. Thus it is more likely to attack the network with default SSID.
4. Enable MAC address filtering and lock down the wireless router to your MAC address. There is a MAC address or a unique physical address to every network card. You can command Wi-Fi router to only accept your MAC address (esp.) on your network card in your computer.
5. Shutting down the network during extended period of non use is the ultimate step to prevent hacking.

How a DICOM Viewer works
DICOM Viewer performs its tasks by integrating different systems and then creating a combined communication system called Picture Archiving & Communication System (PACS) or PACS imaging software. Those systems or devices include different servers and hardware. The application views picture archives from the PACS system like X-ray, CAT scan, and MRI etc. It can be operated in different computer operating systems like Windows, Linux etc. The image format of DICOM Viewer is similar to the normal ‘jpeg’ format.

Options & Flexibility
This software has various options and lot of flexibility to use. Users can store the images in different ways. Images can be saved on hard drive or DVDs. Moreover, images can be stored on servers on the web. Further, it has another attractive option. Users can share the images online. It means a doctor or pathologist can consult about the images with any other partner residing anywhere around the world.

Cost Efficiency
DICOM is a cost efficient image communication system. It effectively reduces the costs of complicated imaging and display procedures. X-ray and other imaging technologies need costly and toxic chemicals to process the images and develop. Also the facilities of a dark room are required. These complications can easily be solved by using DICOM. It also reduces the storage cost and complicacy as mentioned earlier. As it can be used as normal computer application, the learning curve is no greater than what is required to use other software.

Popularity
This software is very popular and widely used in hospitals, health centers, diagnostic and imaging centers by doctors, pathologists and specialists. Specialists in the medical sector largely depend on it as it reduces the complexity of work and ensures better diagnosis. It also enhances professional skill. The DICOM Viewer provides the smarter imaging solution. It can store, handle, transport and print the images effectively which enhances the medical capability. Doctors can get reports, consult, exam and find solutions from the images produced from different imaging systems as they come together in an organized way.

The users has a wide range of options before them to choose a particular type of DICOM Viewer from various types. These are offered by different software companies. The types differ from one to another in their user options, style and facilities. There is also web based software which is used via internet. Some of them can be downloaded for free. So the users can go online and find a free software easily.

It should be mentioned that the DICOM Viewer is not an alternative to the imaging machines like X-ray, MRI or other types of scanner. Rather it is an assisting system for those devices. It increases the work strength and utility of those devices and enables to serve more organized and meaningful results.

Modern imaging systems received a gift through the invention of DICOM Viewers. Today, advanced diagnosis as well treatment cannot be imagined without this software. Without it, the medical science would have remained years behind the present world. Undoubtedly, it created a new era for diagnosing disease and curing the patient in a more modern way.

Medical records were previously manual where staffs record patient’s information and medical history and condition by hand writing. Now, you have the ability to automate the entre process without the need to write the information by hand. Manual medical recording takes time, so with the use of EMR you can increase the productivity of the whole medical center or the medical practice as well. Electronic Health Records eliminate the need to keep a lot of papers inside a huge cabinet where important documents can be misfiled and even get lost accidentally. With EMR technology, each patient’s health care records are HIPAA protected and secured and available with just a click of a mouse.

The data of each patient can be entered into the EMR software solution directly and works in combination with the PACS system to boost the productivity within the healthcare facility. Without the use of paper, the ability to directly encode information to the EMR software makes the information and data more accurate. There also will be no issue regarding deciphering illegible handwriting, because everything is typed in and readable. All medical services and hospitals with EMR may reduce the risk of malpractice. The patient can also access their electronic health record through the hospitals website and personal health records.

One of the drawbacks to this system is the issue of privacy, but good EMR software can provide a secret password so there is confidentiality when it comes to accessing patient personal records. Not all employees within the hospital can access the information. Only the staff assigned to this work can access the information. So, just like other medical advancement, you need to be aware about the two different sides of the story. The EMR software and services can reduce the cost, increase productivity, and save lives of many patients. There is no reason why a medical healthcare facility will not want this kind of technology within their system. This is the opportunity for them to provide the best care and service to all patients in need of fast and reliable medical services. ]]> http://gageet.com/medical-records/electronic-medical-records-and-emr-software/feed 0 http://gageet.com/medical-records/hipaa-compliance-protects-the-privacy-of-patients http://gageet.com/medical-records/hipaa-compliance-protects-the-privacy-of-patients#comments Tue, 23 Nov 2010 20:05:02 +0000 admin http://gageet.com/?p=104 HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. It is very important for health workers and providers to understand and becomes familiar with this term because it is important for patients and it is also widely used. This insurance act works not just for patients but also for their families. When patients loose their jobs or find a new work because they cannot work for the same company anymore because of health reasons, HIPAA should be there to help them with their privacy protection and health information as well.

This insurance act will work as a shield to patients to decrease their health insurance risks and it also gives penalties to insurance companies that will commit offenses. It is vital for you to know your rights regarding your medical records, your health coverage’s and why you will be denied because of the pre-existing conations. Here are some important things you need to know regarding HIPAA:

1. Your right about your medical records – every patient has the right to know his/her electronic medical records. The HIPAA laws governed health companies to let their patients know about their medical condition because it is their right to know what is truly happening to their body. You should be given a copy of the HIPAA policies and you need to sign it as a proof that you have been informed about this.

2. Your rights for your health coverage – every patient have the right to have his/her own insurance and to maintain it for the rest of his/her life depending on the preference. The HIPAA laws once said and mandated that every employee should have and maintain insurance regardless if he/she will be transferring for a new job or employer. Before this law was mandated, when an employer fired a worker, automatically the insurance is also being cut. This law means a lot for ordinary individuals.

3. Denial during a Pre-Existing Condition – a lot of times, people who are applying for an insurance coverage will be denied due to Pre-existing conditions but that was before the HIPAA was mandated and became a law. Now, any employee regardless with pre-existing conditions cannot be denied to have insurance.

A lot of people and patients are enjoying the protection HIPAA compliance provides them because with this law, they are given enough protection and privacy that they need. You don’t have to become a celebrity or a royalty just to be protected absolutely because with the HIPAA, you will be treated nicely and fair. ]]> http://gageet.com/medical-records/hipaa-compliance-protects-the-privacy-of-patients/feed 0 http://gageet.com/technology/medical-imaging-software http://gageet.com/technology/medical-imaging-software#comments Wed, 17 Nov 2010 02:30:56 +0000 admin http://gageet.com/?p=102 The falling cost of personal computing technologies has revolutionized healthcare in general and clinical imaging particularly radiology. In the past, clinical facilities and hospitals have, for the most part, utilized film based x-ray technology. But current industry standards have changed with the advent of the digital age. By using the DICOM standard to transmit image and patient data, healthcare providers now increasingly rely on medical imaging software. The DICOM format is somewhat similar to the jpeg format, which is popularly used for storing digital images taken from cameras. PACS is a different type of system of medical software and hardware that all can function together to edit and read the imaging format DICOM. Now you can find radiology viewers and even the radiology web viewers in the doctor’s office. It is amazing on how fast the digital technologies are being implemented.

It is very important for image processing and diagnostics to make sure that you have a system which is compatible with the practice workflow. You will need to find the systems which can be expanded according to your budget and need for the additional increase in features.

Workflow is basically done in two stages. At first the images are taken from scanners. Then the data is sent to viewers for study and diagnoses purposes. In order to transmit the digital images from the scanners to the viewers a PACS system is used. Having the viewers in the workplace greatly speeds up the processing system and also expands the way files are accessed on the computer network. In order to transfer the data throughout the office or the hospital one must have a secure local area network in the place from where it is being used and in where it will be sent.

One can also manage a personal health record online through the use of web networks. A common feature is that where there are numerous working together, the medical facilities and clinics the communications are bridged together. There are also many private networks built with private effort which can add more versatility in the secure transmittal of heath information. These types of private networks allow referring physicians who are located anywhere in the world in to send and receive medical images securely from their networks. This electronic transfer can greatly speed up the process of reaching a diagnosis of the patient. At the same time also ensure that the best care is provided. This is why it is critical to optimize the work flow of your office. Moreover, security can also be built into the system and procedures for the compliance with HIPPA privacy rules concerning the patient’s confidentiality.

RIS PACS viewers also allow multiple users to view the radiology studies simultaneously. Multiple studies can be also viewed side by side, an integral advantage of systems with speedy retrieval times. Prior studies can also be customized for retrieval and the position and the layout of the studies can be optimized in order to speed up routine and repetitive tasks automatically.

One of the most important things to remember when it comes to backing up your computers files is that no matter how sophisticated or reliable you might think that your computer is, there is always the chance that it will crash. Manufactures try to make their hard drives as reliable as possible but it is impossible to anticipate every single virus and user error that the hard drive will encounter. Even if your computer never gets a virus and you never make a mistake, eventually your hard drive will simply wear out and you will have to get it rebuilt.

One of the best ways to make sure that you data files aren’t damaged or lost if your hard drive crashes is to make sure that you have properly backed up all of your files. Although there are several ways that you can create a backup of your computer files the simplest way is still to copy the data to a CD-ROM.

Many times a business is running out of space to store documents. A simple solution is scanning to CD to provide paperless document storage and a back-up for data recovery. The original documents may then be shredded which will save valuable space.

The Pros

There are several advantages to using CD-ROMs as your backup method. CD’s are really cheap; you can usually purchase them for less than fifty cents a piece. They are small enough to fit in a purse or briefcase and most computers have a CD-ROM drive that can extract the data from the disc. One of the best things about using a CD to create a backup of your computer files is that the CD is capable of lasting forever.

The Cons

When you are using a CD-ROM to backup your computer files you need to remember that the CD’s aren’t without faults. If you don’t handle the CD with care, you can scratch the surface, making the CD unreadable. If you have lots of computer files that you need to back up, the accumulated pile of CD’s can be large and you might have trouble finding a place to store them. CD’s are extremely easy to steal and can be damaged in fires and floods.

Medical records which are printed on old paper based documents are scanned into the system and saved to files such as TIFF and PDF format. The computerized files play an important role; because, no more will you have to go through large piles of documents to find the medical data. The navigation of the computerized records is aided through data entry of Meta information including dates and demographic information. It is also easy to convert the PDF files into searchable format with an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) program It is easy to find the required clinical data and medical charts. Now, PDF files can be also be searched based on text and dates which will make it easier to navigate the page and find other information. Any texts in PDF files can be linked to another page and this way you create PDF libraries which are very easily searchable.

Imaging the documents are much efficient than the old style medical records which are becoming outdated. With imaging technology you can access the files and records faster than before if you scan the records of your most active patients first. With large number of records, it may take few months to a year to scan all the records. In this case, the overall cost is always involved. In order to save costs, the scanning work can be outsourced. While you are outsourcing the work, the provider company should adhere to HIPPA privacy requirements.

HIPAA HITECH Compliance
The files and reports always belong to the creator and custodian of the record under data protection legislation. No matter who created or changed the files and records of patients, they are the property of medical facility that originally prepared them. Such files may include X-rays, CT, PET, MRI, Ultrasound and all types of reports. The patient can always ask for original documentation according to HIPAA privacy rules. The hardware, software and media which are used in store information is managed by EMR software which is an integrated system for creating backup data, protecting data, making copies and data migration which may be required when there is a case of media degradation.

Older record incorporation

The old record should always be incorporated into patient’s record. This will let to attain easier accessibility, create efficiency, maintain patient safety and reduce costs promised by EMR. Obviously, the cost involved in the medical record scanning is expensive and very time consuming. So, it is important to take steps for reducing the costs of scanning medical records. There should be exact scan of the content and one should be very careful doing so because most of the records involve handwritten reports from different healthcare professionals over the period of patient’s treatments. The final materials can exist in any numbers. They may be available in different forms of formats, sizes, qualities and media types. Furthermore, the original healthcare records after quality control should be destroyed completely and confidentially at a document shredding company.

Technical and operational details

It possesses an 8dbi directional dish antenna, unlike the average Wi-Fi adaptor that has a 2dbi connector. This antenna is touted to provide more distance and faster speeds compared to other available wireless adapters. Its bi-directional antenna improves connection quality and operating distance, while a standard omni directional antenna’s signal strength lessens with distance. However, it is not this new antenna alone that leads to stronger wireless connections. The HWU8DD is also dish shaped, which leads to it being highly directional. It has a maximum range of around 800 feet and its throughput is 22 Mbps. This wireless adapter integrates Wi-Fi networking with the distance benefits that wireless Dish Technology provides. The inbuilt LED signal strength indicators give network signal information, which help to pinpoint the most powerful signal available within an area. You can connect your Laptop to any Wi-Fi Network or your home/office Wireless Network for extended wireless coverage. The HWU8DD operates like a satellite dish. The dish catches wireless signals and then improves their reception. Being a directional antenna, you will need to point it in the general direction of your wireless router, to amplify that signal alone. A row of LED’s located in the front of the wireless dish, display signal quality and therefore adjusting the HWU8DD for the optimal signal is easy. You can tilt and rotate the dish, to aim it in the general direction of your router, thus achieving the best wireless signal possible. This ability to move the dish around to locate the best signals is one of the best features of the HWU8DD.

Considerations for a buyer and conclusions

The signal indicator aids you in positioning the dish to get the best signal, and is useful. The HWU8DD is priced at 99$. It is somewhat fragile, so you have to handle it carefully. The USB cord provided is rather short (about 5′), so you may need an extension in many cases. Only the operating systems – Windows Vista 32, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows Me and Windows 98Se are supported with drivers, Linux and the kind aren’t supported. It is a bit bulky to carry round, but it’s still great to take along while traveling or when you go camping. You can use it to tap into a free Wi-Fi access point and thus don’t have to pay for Internet access. It also picks up a lot more signals than older adapter’s. The installation is easy and trouble free. The software provided is good as well.

Dell has introduced a new Business class laptop the Latitude Z. The Lattitude Z has a ultra-thin profile and large 16-inch display. The system weighs just 4.5 pounds and is less than an inch thick. The laptop can be configured with two SSD drives for secure back-up, 4GB of RAM and either a 4 or 8-celled battery. But what makes it stand out is the wireless charging feature. A special dock (available as a $200 option) with a coil of wire inside connects with a coil on the bottom of the Latitude Z. When the two coils match up, the laptop battery is charged. The charge time is the same as the standard plugin.

There is also a wireless docking system that is separate from the wireless charging feature. The docking station connects to USB devices and an external monitor without plugging the laptop in. The range of the wireless dock is 12 feet which is kind of limited. But still useful.

The Latitude Z has a separate processor on the motherboard that provides an instant-on mode. The Latitude ON mode give faster access to the web browser, email, contacts, and calendars. The use of the low-power quick-boot mode extends battery life for days while idle.

The Latitude Z also offers document scanning functionality with the built-in 2-megapixel Webcam with autofocus capabilities. With this the user can scan paper documents and create PDF files.

The Latitude Z starts at $1,999. The price is not affordable to the average laptop user. But with all the top features, it is a must have for the busy executive.