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Carpathia has outlined common mistakes it believes healthcare providers make when they want ensure compliance with HIPAA regulations on protected health information as they explore technology trends like cloud computing and dynamic data infrastructure.
In a blog entry posted Wednesday, the cloud and managed hosting services company indicated that healthcare providers could face large fines and other sanctions without “continuous diligence” in maintaining their compliance.
Many common compliance mistakes are centered on the network infrastructure, service provider, monitoring of regulation changes and direction of spending, Carpathia says.
The company noted that data architectures become increasingly abstract and vulnerable to attack as companies expand to cloud and virtual environments and adopt bring-your-own-device or mobility.
“Once we reach the point where data environments no longer require a fixed physical asset, functions like security and governance will have to move up the stack to the application or even data layer.”
Carpathia also highlighted ways to establish a “close working relationship” with the providers of cloud or colocation services, ensure that they pass audits on HIPAA or HITECH compliance and have the needed training for involved employees.
Healthcare providers should also keep themselves updated on changes to regulations and their enforcement, as well as monitor their technology investments and the corresponding capital and operating expenses, Carpathia says.
“This is the primary reason why many organizations are seeking out cloud providers who can demonstrate all of the technology, skillsets, and the policies & procedures to ensure compliance for their clients.”
