This document discusses the importance of medical practices having a well-thought-out contingency plan to address disasters like fires, hacks, or system failures that could impact patient data or operations. It recommends the plan address notifying staff, accessing patient information, and continuity of care for scheduled patients. The plan should include backup of data, disaster recovery, and emergency operation procedures that are documented, tested, and communicated to staff. Developing and implementing such a contingency plan is necessary under HIPAA law to protect patient privacy and ensure confidentiality, integrity and availability of electronic health information.

1. What would you do in
the event of a
disaster?

2.  A fire, tornado or other disaster
has hit your medical practice.
 You can’t get in to the building.

3. What do you do
about …
• Patients scheduled for that day?
• Notifying Staff?
• Accessing important patient
medical information?

4. A medical practice’s unencrypted
server was hacked and the data
was held hostage.
What would
you do?

5. Under HIPAA law, it’s critical
that medical practices have a well
thought-out and documented
contingency plan.
Contingency Planning

6. “Establish (and implement
as needed) policies and
procedures for responding
to an emergency or other
occurrence (for example,
fire, vandalism, system
failure,
and natural disaster) that
damages systems that
contain electronic protected
health information.”

7.  Medical practices must “ensure the
confidentiality, integrity, and
availability of all electronic protected
health information the covered entity
creates, receives, maintains or
transmits” and to “protect against any
reasonably anticipated threats or
hazards to the security or integrity of
such information.”

8. 1. Data Backup Plan
2. Disaster Recovery Plan
3. Emergency Mode
Operation Plan
4. Testing and Revision
Procedures
5. Applications and Data
Criticality Analysis

9.  Staffing
 Physical
facility
 Continuity of
care
 Workflow

10. Only then will you truly
be ready to manage a
potential type of disaster.
Documented, tested and
communicated to everyone
within your practice.

11. info@practicemanagersolutions.com
Call 866-492-0481 ext 4
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