Use of intranets / extranets for HIPAA compliance

Title:Use of intranets / extranets for HIPAA complianceWord Count:217Summary:Intranets and extranets are now available thatmeet the rigorous security requirements of thehealthcare industry.Keywords:HIPAA,compliance,intranets,extranets,intranet,

extranetArticle Body:Collaboration among healthcare professionals,particularly in circumstances that require thesharing of confidential patient information,requires an intranet or extranet that offersenhanced security features.The Health Insurance Portability andAccountability Act (HIPAA) has three majorrequirements:?Protect the privacy of individual healthinformation?Provide the necessary security to protect theprivacy of individual health information?Provide standardization of electronic datainterchange in health care transactionsAddressing this need, intranets and extranets are

now available that meet these securityrequirements. As you consider the implementationof an intranet or extranet, look for the followingsecurity features:?Secure web server with 128bit SSL encryption?Server monitoring?Secure IDs and passwords?Defined authority levels?Viewing permission controls?Session time out after 30 minutes?The ability to disable user-specific cookies,?The ability of users to change their ownpassword,?The ability to create strong passwords.?Complete, un-editable activity log for securityauditsChoosing a web-based solutionTo speed the implementation of an intranet orextranet with these features, an increasingly

popular approach is to use an Application ServiceProvider (ASP).In addition to providing an immediate solutionthat has the appropriate security featuresin-place, the advantages of a web-based ASPinclude a lower cost of entry, a proventrack-record of performance and no need toinstall intranet software or extranet software.