What are the important requirements of HIPAA for a medical transcription company?
Medical Transcription Service Organizations were expected to ensure the security and confidentiality of patient’s Protected Health Information (PHI). MTSOs were further required to maintain an audit trail of all individuals who accessed patient’s PHI. This necessitated the implementation of new technology and business processes to be ensured as the two key requirements by transcription service providers. Can the Internet be used for medical transcription and still meet HIPAA requirements? Any MTSO can meet HIPAA requirements using encryption and password protection, which prevents unauthorized access to PHI. Voice files recorded on portable recorders need to be encrypted before transmission over the Internet, but telephone dictations do not require encryption. Encrypted e-mail or a secure FTP site must be used to send the transcribed documents to the healthcare provider, or the document may be faxed, but it must be accompanied by a disclaimer statement explaining its confidential natur
