Remote patient monitoring has been of great help for patients suffering from diabetes in the better management of their condition. For instance, a study shows that there has been a 22% reduction in monthly care costs for diabetes patients using RPM services for managing their condition. From allowing them to manage their health from the comfort of their health to better medication management, remote patient monitoring software proved to be a literal lifesaver for them.

These improved healthcare services are not just limited to diabetes patients, its role in managing chronic conditions is becoming even more significant than ever before. That is the reason it is one of those programs in the healthcare industry that has the highest adoption rate in modern-day healthcare practice along with programs for chronic disease management.

But the question of how secure is remote patient monitoring data? And is RPM HIPAA compliant? Might be troubling you.

Apart from helping providers improve patient outcomes, it has played a crucial role in reducing the overall cost of care and empowering patients to actively participate in their care journey. However, in this transition from in-person care practices to virtual care practices, maintaining security and healthcare data privacy of patient information has become even more crucial. And this has become one of the major concerns of healthcare providers trying to implement the RPM program in their practice.

In this blog, let’s address the RPM data security and privacy challenges in remote patient monitoring and its successful implementation.

Understanding the Data Landscape

Before implementing RPM data security and privacy measures in a virtual healthcare ecosystem, let’s first understand the data landscape in healthcare to implement robust RPM security solutions.

  1. Type of Data Collected: In remote patient monitoring, different types of patient health data are collected with the help of RPM devices. For example, a patient’s vital signs, medication adherence, and activity levels are measured. This information is quite personal to every individual due to which maintaining its RPM security solutions becomes even more important.
  2. Data Storage & Transmission: Once the data is collected by the RPM devices, it is then transmitted to the patient’s server for analysis. Also, it is where the patient data is stored.
  3. Potential Vulnerabilities: During this entire process of data collection and transmission, if appropriate RPM security solutions are not taken, it can lead to data breaches, or anyone unauthorized from the practice can access that. Along with that, there are high chances of losing that data as the digital healthcare landscape is quite prone to cyber-attacks and threats.

Building a Secure Foundation

The protection of patient data is essential for maintaining the integrity of the practice and also to avoid any legal complications. As failing to safeguard this data can lead to violation of a patient’s fundamental rights, it is important to build a secure foundation. Here are some of the important aspects that can help you in building a secure and robust foundation.

  1. Encryption: By encrypting patient data at rest and in transit, you implement one of the core aspects of security since that data becomes hard to decrypt and only authorized parties can access it to make sense of the data.
  2. Access Controls: Another security feature that you need is robust access control with multi-factor authentication, which gives authorized personnel access to the data only. Role-based permissions are one of the things that are used in many practices to add another level of security for access to patient data.
  3. Compliance with Regulations: Given the sensitive nature of personal information, the regulatory bodies have issued some standard practices for practices to comply with for safeguarding patient information. Some of those that you should be aware of are HIPAA in the USA and GDPR in countries part of the European Union.

Prioritizing Patient Privacy

Since the remote patient monitoring software and program will majorly be dealing with personal information of patients, it is important to prioritize healthcare data privacy. To achieve this, here are some of the robust methods that can help you in building a solid and secure base for maintaining RPM data security.

  1. Informed Consent: CMS requires you to obtain clear and informed consent from patients before collecting their data to provide care. This is important because it gives your practice the right to collect their health data and use it to provide better care services.
  2. Data Minimization: Data minimization is nothing but a collection of data that is relevant for achieving a purpose, which in this case is to provide better care services ensuring data security in remote patient monitoring that only their health data is collected to provide them with better care services.
  3. Data Anonymization & Pseudonymization: Data anonymization can be defined as a process of removing the identifiers from the collected data so that it can’t be traced back to its source. On the other hand, data pseudonymization replaces the identifiers in the data with codes or other indicators to make it difficult to trace its source. However, in data pseudonymization, the source can be traced with the right encryption. Both these factors are important in adding another layer of protection and healthcare data privacy to patients’ health data.
  4. Patient Control Over Data: Another important aspect of maintaining data security and privacy in RPM is to give the patients control of their data. This is important because, with this, the patient can easily access their health data, modify them as per their needs and requirements, and delete them, just in case.

Building Trust Through Transparency

Along with taking robust security measures and maintaining the healthcare data privacy which is collected, it is also important for you to maintain confidentiality and gain the trust of the patients for the success of your practice. The best way to gain that in remote patient monitoring is by bringing transparency to your care practices. Here are some of the best practices in healthcare that are used to gain patient trust:

  1. Clear Communication: Keep the communication transparent with the patients and walk them through the data landscape, explaining to them how the data is collected, used, and protected.
  2. Data Breach Notification Policies: Explain the data breach notification policies to the patients clearly and what is done in case the data is breached. This is one of the best practices in the healthcare industry to gain patient trust.
  3. Regular Reporting & Audits: Conduct regular security audits on the system to find any potential loopholes in the system and to improve the system’s security. Along with that, also report this to patients to further gain their trust in care delivery.

The Role of Healthcare Providers

If you’re a healthcare provider, your role in this becomes even more evident in maintaining the safety and security of the patient data that is being collected. Here are some of the things that you should be aware of:

  1. Choosing a Secure RPM Vendor: Choose the right RPM vendor that has credible, ethical, and strong security practices. Going to someone who is reputable in the industry can be a good start.
  2. Internal Training & Awareness: Train your healthcare staff on RPM data security and privacy protocols for RPM set by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This will not only encourage ethical practices but also help you navigate smoothly through the legal landscape.
  3. Staying Updated: With technology moving at an unprecedented speed, the landscape of security in healthcare is often evolving along with technology. To stay ahead of the curve, it is important for you to stay updated with the evolving landscape and implement Security best practices for RPM programs. 

Conclusion

Before starting your remote patient monitoring program, it is important for you to understand that you will be dealing with some of the most crucial and sensitive information of your patients. That is why it is important for you to maintain its RPM data security and privacy. 

Abiding by the regulations and maintaining a robust security system will not only help you in maintaining the integrity of your practice but also keep you away from legal troubles. Let this blog be your guide to building a safe and secure RPM system. If you’re looking to get fast-tracked and start your RPM program as soon as possible, click here to book your free consultation call.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Is my data safe with RPM?

RPM data security depends on the system. While encryption and secure protocols exist, breaches can happen. Look for vendors that prioritize security with features like encryption, access controls, and regular updates. HIPAA compliance is also a good sign. In short, RPM data can be safe but choose your system carefully.

  1. Who can access my data in an RPM program?

In an RPM program, your data access is typically limited to the healthcare providers directly involved in your care. This may include nurses, doctors, and specialists on your care team. The program itself should have safeguards to ensure data security and privacy according to HIPAA regulations.

  1. What happens if there’s a data breach?

A data breach can be disastrous! Your personal info like credit cards or passwords could be exposed. This can lead to identity theft, financial loss, and a lot of hassle cleaning things up. Companies can suffer, too, with fines, damaged reputations, and lost customers.

  1. How can I control my data in RPM?

Your control over RPM data depends on the specific platform. Many offer options to view, download, and even correct your readings. Look for data access features in the patient portal or app. You can also request your data directly from your healthcare provider. Remember, you have the right to understand and control your health information.

  1. What are the main data security risks in remote patient monitoring?

Remote patient monitoring exposes sensitive health data with several security risks. These include weaknesses in devices, lack of software updates, and unsecured connections. Hackers could exploit these to steal information or even tamper with readings.

  1. How can healthcare providers ensure data security in RPM?

Healthcare providers can secure RPM data by choosing vendors with strong encryption and HIPAA compliance. They should also train staff on data security protocols and monitor access to patient information. This ensures healthcare data privacy throughout collection, storage, and transmission.

  1. What regulations must be followed to ensure healthcare data privacy in RPM?

Companies likely follow general data protection laws like GDPR, HIPAA, HITECH Act, etc., and rely on internal policies to secure patient data. These policies focus on data encryption, access control, and user consent.

  1. How can patients be assured their data is secure in RPM?

RPM security solutions relies on encryption to scramble data during transfer, making it unreadable to anyone intercepting it. Look for providers that use strong encryption standards and have clear data security policies. You can also inquire about their compliance with HIPAA regulations.

  1. What role do regular audits play in RPM data security?

Regular audits in RPM data security act like watchdogs. They identify weaknesses in access controls, encryption, and other safeguards. This early detection allows for patching vulnerabilities before a data breach, protecting sensitive patient information.