Hi Class,
Here is Blog assignment 9:
Go to the NCMIC website. Log on with the
username “college” and the password “NCMIC”.
Click on the “case studies/articles” selection on the left side of the
screen. Next, look under the “summer
2011”articles. Select and read: Getting Rid of
Your Old Computer or Copier?
For the blog, discuss the steps and problems involved. Your
discussion should contain at least 2 key points. The group will designate a
member to comment on the blog. It is due Wednesday, January 23, 2012.
Thanks,
First, all necessary business information should be transferred to the replacement system. If the hard drive of the computer or copier is legally yours, destroying it would be a good idea to avoid allowing PHI into someone else's hands. If this is not possible, due to lease, then using a commercially available free space bleaching program can help reduce the probability of PHI being accidentally released.
ReplyDeleteJoshua Leeder and Michael Robinson
Protecting patient and practice confidential information is key to protect practice and earn patient, client and employee trust by taking appropriate steps. Computer and copier has hard drives and those are used to store confidential information temporarily or permanently. Security issues are associated with how to handle those confidential information on hard drives. First step is taking back up when replacing to new computer. Second is destroy or wipe hard drive information before return leasing computer or copier. Utility programs or commercial security products provides wiping out hard drive information functions. It is also recommended to ask vendor to destroy the data stored on copiers or allows to keep hard drive when returning. These issues are not only computers and copiers. Other accessory devices and smart phones has memory devices on its own. It is very important to limit the devices to access secure information to prevent practice confidential information from falling into wrong hands.
ReplyDeleteHiro Horikawa, John Rockas, Vinicius Francio
When getting a new computer or copier it is important to take steps when changing it out. Backing up the old patient files using a zip drive and ensuring that all the patient records transferred properly is important. If you own the computer or copier you can destroy the hard drive by drilling holes in it to ensure that PHI isn't stolen or you can wipe the hard drive if you lease the equipment. If you choose to wipe the hard drive then it is better to get a program that erases and overwrites data multiple times by either looking online or contacting the manufacturer. You may also choose to keep the hard drive or have the vendor destroy it if it is written in your contract. The important thing is to make sure that the patient information hasn't been stolen so also be weary of printers, fax machines, scanners and smart phones since these also contain memory devices.
ReplyDeleteJordan L, Kasey R, Shannon S, Christa S
When purchasing new computers or printers it is vital to patient’s confidentiality to know what to do with a hard drive. If one is considering getting a new computer they need to take essential steps to backing up and destroying the hard drive. If you are backing up patient files to a jump drive or external hard drive the information needs to be done successfully. There are several websites out there where you can purchase a program to wipe your hard drive clean. If that is not good enough, you can take the steps to permanently destroy the hard drive. This is done by drilling multiple holes into the hard drive it-self. When buying a printer, it is important to remove and wipe the hard drive in the printer in order to protect vital information. Make sure that if you are leasing or renting a printer, that you have a deal or contract that allows you to buy the hard drive when done with use. If the renter does not want to sell you the hard drive at least make sure that the company takes the necessary procedures to wipe the printer’s hard drive clean. This will help limit the exposure of patient records and protect serve to further protect your patients and your practice.
ReplyDeleteCierra Seifert, Diana M.,Simone F, Erin C., Lakin C.
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ReplyDeleteprotecting patient information is of the utmost importance. when changing over to a new computer or copier it is crucial to first make sure your patient information has been backed onto a hard drive that is secure . Once the patient information has been backed up the next step is to wipe out your hard drive completely from your old computer this can be done by buying a program which will erase your computers hard drive safely and effectively if you feel you need a more secure way of destroying the hard drive permanently you can accomplish that by drilling several holes through the hard drive.
ReplyDeleteKelly Lally, Emily Schultz (John C, Jordan H, Nicole J)
When purchasing a new computer, printer, fax machine, smart phone, etc.. it is very important to protect the patients PHI. All patient information needs to be backed up to a zip drive or external hard drive or both. Secondly the existing hard drive must be wiped clean with a program that overwrites the data multiple times if the equpment is leased and must be returned to vendor. There are numerous websites available that do this. If the hard drive is owned by you, you can destroy it by drilling holes in it so no information can be retrieved. Taking proper steps to protect patient's PHI is of the utmost importance and must be handled properly and taken seriousley!
ReplyDeleteJarod Morrison, Liz Garrett, Ashley Crampton, MJ Kim, Ryan Duklas
When it comes to protected information of your clients and employees the proper steps need to be taken to dispose of the equipment that is on. This in return will gain their trust and protect your business. Deleting stuff from your hard drive isn't enough, these deleted files often can be recovered. At the very least, you should format the hard drive and overwrite the disk. There are websites and different resources that make this a simple process and free programs that will make the disk unreadable.
ReplyDeleteDaniel, Mark, Jay, Felicia, Britni
When you want to protect the information of your patients and employees there can be multiple things you can do to ensure this. If you print anything off, having a wastebasket with a shredder can be beneficial for any paper copies that may no longer be needed. When it comes to hardware on your computer that can be a little trickier. If you need to change systems you need to make sure that the information is taken off of the old computer. You can wipe that clean or reformat the old hard drive with several different programs. If you choose to destroy the old hard drive, you can have the old drive shredded or drill it full of holes yourself. It is important before doing that however that you back up the information, usually on an external secure hard drive. Jesse Boelter, Melissa Adams, Richard Kingsbury, Jack Tripp, Justin Casey
ReplyDeleteAs soon as you hire and employee or had a consult with a potential patient you have become a caretaker of sensitive information. Information that is your sole responsibility as a business owner and a health care practitioner to protect. One way to minimize risk and increase your protection is to purchase your own equipment. The cost of printers and computers are so low now that is reasonable and feasible to purchase a high enough quality system at a low cost. This allows you to destroy the system when upgrading or discarding. Once information is on a hard drive it is really difficult to completely get rid of the information (some people are really good at retrieving data), destroying the machine is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your patients. A second protection method is hiring a technician who is skilled at data removal, coping data etc. By utilizing someone with specialized training you have a better chance of moving all of the data to a new machine and safely destroying any unwanted data. As computers get more complex it will take more skill to protect your data. And as always, back up your information.
ReplyDeleteKali E (Brad K, Jerome M, Tor B, Lionel B)
With todays technology, almost anything can be recovered off of an old computer or printer. Therefore, it is vital to ensure that certain information does not end up in the wrong hands when returning or throwing away an old printer or computer. There are certain steps one can do to make sure that this does not happen. When getting a new computer, the first step should be to back up all files which need to be kept via a hard drive. One can contact a state board to learn how long certain files need to be kept. After a few weeks (just to make sure you have all the files you need on the new computer) one should destroy or wipe the hard drive (depending on whether throwing away or returning the computer). There are currently many easily obtainable security programs which can wipe files off of computers which the doctor could use. With printers one can either personally destroy the data which has been saved on the printer. One can also form a contract with the vendor that states once the printer is returned, all files/data be erased or the hard drive can be kept by the doctor. By doing these simple steps, one can ensure that patient information does not get leaked and that patient trust can be maintained (along with avoiding the ever so deadly law suits and fines).
ReplyDeleteAlex B, Dee K, Kurt S, Seo, Andrew
Have daily system back ups are a good risk management strategy and it is important to keep the system just in case some files were not backed up correctly. If you back up your patient health record information all of the time (daily) then it makes it easier to see if you are missing anything especially if you are considering replacing office equipment. It is crucial to maintain PHI private and confidential because you will gain trust from patients, clients and employees. If you are getting a new computer or printer don’t forget there is confidential information stored on the system/ hard drive and it must be removed before you sell, donate, and get rid of that piece of equipment. Make sure you remove your hard drive out of the computer and you can dispose of the hard drive by drilling holes through it yourself. By drilling holes through the hard drive ensures that PHI are protected and confidential. If you lease your computer or printer make sure that you wipe the hard drive before returning the equipment. There are several free services online to help overwrite all the data on your hard drive and permanently deletes all the files. If your copier is leased ask for the hard drive and if the leasing company will not do that then have the sign a certificate of destruction and place that in your contract. This is another great way to protect images and documents pertaining to patient health records.
ReplyDeleteTara G, Alyssa K, Tomo M, Charles S, Calinhan D.
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ReplyDeleteYou are still responsible for protecting your patient's computer records if you are about to donate, sell or get rid of your old computer and /or copier. Many don't realize that some photocopiers can retain images of everything that was ever copied, thus putting you and your patients at risk.
ReplyDeleteFor Computers, although you may have deleted a file, the information can still be accessed on the computer.
These problems can be solved by first and foremost, backing up all your patient files. Very important so as not to lose any pertinent information before you proceed to the next step.
Next, destroy your hard drive before selling or donating your computer. This will ensure that those hidden files you thought you 'deleted' are truly gone. Drill it with holes or have it shredded.
You can also have your hard drive wiped clean, by deleting your files and then using a program that overwrites your information with ones and zeros. Although this method is definitely not as fun as the former, this would be a more preferable choice if the computer is leased.
James Armstrong, Jordan Ball, Tamara Blackmon, Sangwoo Kim, Yoonsun Kim
It is important that when getting rid of an old computer that you protect yourself and your patient's records for confidentiality purposes. One way to do this is to back up case files on a hard drive. To ensure that the files are backed up safely and securely, make sure you contact a state board and also make sure that you keep your old computer for a few weeks in case any information is lost. Once you are confident that the information has been transferred accurately, make sure to destroy the hard drive or have it wiped clean.These are easy and efficient ways to ensure patient safety and well as your safety if you are retiring, moving, or leaving your practice. Patients need to make sure that after you relieve them from your care, that they can still trust you as a health care professional and that random people don't end up with all of their information.
ReplyDeleteLaura Peterson, Meet Patel, Luke Pernsteiner, Eric Bowman, Hyun Jo
Patient confidentiality is an important aspect of business ownership for a chiropractor. There are many steps one must take to ensure the patient’s personal information is kept secure from anyone without a “need to know”. Unfortunately, upgrades in technology can make it difficult at times to fully protect this personal information. Therefore, certain steps are necessary when disposing of your old computer equipment. The first step you must take is to backup any and all files that you want to keep before transferring them to your new computer. It’s a good idea to keep your old computer for at least a couple weeks after the file transfer, in case the transfer missed some information. Next, be sure to destroy your hard drive. Deleted files on a hard drive can still be recoverable; therefore it is best to find someone to shred the hard drive, or destroy it yourself by drilling it full of holes. If you leased you computer, destroying of the hard drive may not be allowed. If this is the case, there are cheap or even free programs you can obtain that will “scrub” the hard drive clean and replace all of your information with 1’s and 0’s. The same concept may be true for copiers. A technician may be needed when deleted data from your copier.
ReplyDeleteEric Dickerson, Andrew Weihler, Wes Harpham, TJ Harpham, Ryan Madigan
Now a days it seems that all the patient information is on the computer. The important information varies between provider but most Chiropractors have social security numbers account information,and personal information. Most technology has the ability to save, store, or backup information that was either scanned copied or typed on to it. There are both pros and cons to the new technology. Many individuals do not realize the information that still could be on their personal or work computers when they sell or donate their computers. There are many ways to reassure patient information and clinic information. The first step in this process would be to back up all the information before transferring your information, sometimes when transferring it to another computer all of the information does not transfer. The second part would be to destroy the hard drive. There are many different steps in doing this 1) destoying it by drilling holes directly into it 2) if it is a leased computer, there are software programs that will help delete the hard drive (wipe your hard drive). Technology has gone a long way from copiers, scanners, fax machines, IPOD, and computers there are many positive and negatives with the improving technology. That is why the individual with this information should always be extra careful with this information and deleting this information when appropriately needed.
ReplyDeleteCollin S, Matt M, Ryan R, Tucker B, Dave S
Purchasing or leasing new office equipment for you office is an important decision. Purchasing the equipment gives you the option to remove and replace the hard drive when you decide to update your computer or printer/fax system. Given the huge responsibility of patient confidentiality and the consequences of accidental breech. I think its a no brainer to purchaxe and own your equipment. Giving your old equipment away after removing the hard drive is absolute peace of mind. NCMIC suggests destruction of your old hard drive by drilling holes in it prior to recycling. When leasing equipment be sure your leasor allows for removal and purchase of the hard drive or will offer to erase the data prior to removal from your office. Be sure to ask for a certificate of destruction with the model/serial number of the equipment it has been removed from. Utility programs can easily be found online that will essentialy wipe all information off your hard drive and will overwrite an empty program to further ensure no recoverable data. Whatever your preference besure to cover your "assets".
ReplyDeleteWhen considering the purchase of a new computer/copier/fax machine/ phone (electronically devices) for your office it is essential to consider important steps when changing out for new electronical devices. Steps to consider: Backing up the old patient files using a zip drive or another device to ensure that all the patient records have transferred properly. Step 2: If you own the computer or copier you can destroy or see if there are other ways to remove this information located on the hard drive to ensure that PHI does not get in the wrong hands. If you wipe the hard drive then it is better to get a program that erases and overwrites data multiple times. Any Electronical device that has a memory has the capacity to save PHI. Keep it simple and look into these steps prior to purchase.
ReplyDeleteNina, Holly, Rhys, Derek