A HIPAA-compliant virtual assistant is a remote professional with skills applied to working with sensitive patient information in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. These assistants help protect PHI and assist medical practices in meeting strict data protection criteria.
Basic Services Offered by a HIPAA-Virtual Assistant
Among other standard duties across VA.care, these virtual assistants:
- Security measures: Maintain encryption for electronic communication systems and ensure regular data backups or force update of security patches onto their software systems.
- Training and awareness: Help with staff training on HIPAA laws and keep them up to date on any changes to the laws.
- Patient Records Management: They take care of electronic patient records so that only authorized persons can access them.
Reporting and Auditing: They monitor systems for potential breaches, report breaches that occur, initiate investigations, and conduct audits that help with continued adherence to HIPAA.
Administrative Duties: Other administrative duties may include patient scheduling, email management, billing, and data entry services, always diligent to comply with HIPAA regulation for each task.