Why Are PMS providers at Risk?

Practice management software (PMS) providers are always at risk of data breaches. Of course, this is a threat many industries face, but the blow can be particularly sharp for providers that deal with sensitive personal information. Fortunately, PMS providers can now leverage identity verification services to prevent unauthorized access and protect against the catastrophic effects of financial loss and reputational damage.

The excellent news is that PMS providers can use identity verification to ensure better quality care and services in various ways. Here are the top five ways to achieve the best outcome with identity verification.

Manage Patient Records Securely

Identity verification providers can assist PMS providers in securely managing client records and patient data. Identity verification has revolutionized the organization, sharing, and maintenance of medical records. According to a source from the National Library of Medicine, one of the significant challenges and barriers to inpatient management is being able to manage patients' data while protecting the privacy and security of said data.

It becomes easier to circumvent this barrier through individuals' secure identification and verification. As a result, Digital systems have been a boon to practice management. The integration of secure ID verification enables various medical practices to provide better healthcare through proper maintenance of patient records.

For instance, PMS providers can instantly aggregate and store data more efficiently and access patient records and histories. Effective identification also enables quick access to records after updates occur, so it's easier to keep up with critical changes in patient information. In addition, data transfer and sharing can happen in a secure, more controlled environment, which facilitates efficient and fast care.

Prevent Identity Fraud

Technology and practice management software are widespread due to their many benefits. However, cybercrime is a common threat that all PMS providers must safeguard against to prevent identity theft. The last thing any PMS provider wants is to allow patient records in their care to be sold on the black market and used for nefarious purposes.

Furthermore, cybercrime involving PMS harms the provider and damages the healthcare organization, medical staff, and patients. According to the National Association of Healthcare Access Management, data breaches on personal health information can be fatal when critical patient information is incorrect.

In addition, data breaches cost the healthcare industry billions of dollars per year. They can negatively impact many people's lives, as with data breaches that occurred to UCLA Health, Excellus Health Plan, and Anthem. UCLA Health had to spend millions of dollars to settle the resulting class-action lawsuit.

Thankfully, identity verification services help combat fraud and identity theft risks. Identity verification is a much-needed step up from more straightforward cybersecurity measures, like using complex passwords and putting up firewalls.

Today's cybercriminals are highly sophisticated and will waltz past ineffective measures to steal the sensitive information in your care. Suppose you want to beat these skillful data breaches at their own game. In that case, the best way is to use identity verification services to correctly authenticate and identify patients via your automated systems. Doing so benefits medical practices and can help other enterprises stay compliant – for instance, through identity verification for cannabis sales.

Improve Revenue Cycle Management

PMS providers should always look for systems and tools that integrate and enhance their existing systems. Identity verification is one such tool that can improve revenue cycle management. Identity verification provides an efficient, cost-effective way to collect accurate and adequate patient information.

For instance, credit card identity verification becomes seamless at registration or billing. This level of efficiency helps to optimize the revenue cycle and reduce costs. In addition, when payments are collected faster, this also boosts workflow efficiency and improves cash flow.

Too often, when there is a discovery of inaccurate patient information, revenue cycle delays occur. Identity verification weeds out such inaccuracies, and integration occur smoothly without disrupting core processes.

Minimize the Risk of Duplicate Patient Records

The American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) estimates that duplicate records can cost organizations $40 million, including malpractice litigation and duplicate clean-ups. So, it's safe to say that duplicate medical records are a severe threat that requires a proactive approach rather than a reactive one.

The threat is more significant for healthcare organizations with multiple systems or integrated other systems. The consequences of duplicate patient records include poor patient care, delayed or incorrect treatment, and reporting, which can be a matter of life and death. In addition, this increases the risk of expensive medical malpractice litigation for healthcare organizations with a high rate of duplicate records.

PMS providers that use identity verification services can help medical practices avoid patient identification errors and detect duplicates. Identity verification ensures accurate identification and verification upon admission. It also allows organizations to quickly, cheaply, and efficiently clean up duplicate records.

Process Insurance Claims Efficiently

PMS providers that use identity verification can also help their clients with insurance management. Processing and filing insurance claims no longer have to be an inefficient process full of pitfalls. With identity verification, it's easier and quicker for patients filing for healthcare benefits to prove they are who they say they are and have access to insurance and healthcare programs.

Otherwise, inaccurate identification can result in double payments or discovering that a patient isn't entitled to the benefits they're claiming. These snags can be a hassle to resolve, and they're better off not occurring in the first place.

Identity Verification Services Help Protect the Data In Your Care

It's impossible to overstate the importance of controlling access to patient or client data for PMS providers. By utilizing identity verification services to boost the security and efficiency of identity authentication.

Identity verification helps prevent identity theft and duplication of patient records while improving records management, revenue cycles, and insurance claims.

What can BlueCheck do?

BlueCheck achieves this balance by combining a sleek, field-tested user interface with a robust verification engine that connects to a network of authoritative databases and credit bureaus. In addition, we partner with companies in various industries and growth stages to provide affordable, reliable online age verification. Learn more about how BlueCheck can help you solve your ID verification challenges!

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK208618/

https://www.naham.org/page/ConnectionsThe-Value-of-Personal-Medical-Information

https://www.hipaajournal.com/ucla-health-settles-class-action-data-breach-lawsuit-for-7-5-million

https://bok.ahima.org/doc?oid=302567#.YojqaahBzIU