ECM Briefs

News last year about an audit of Atlanta's Piedmont Hospital, the first of its kind since HIPAA security rules went into effect, had many in the healthcare industry anticipating more enforcement. More aggressive audits to verify compliance with HIPAA security requirements are expected this year, making it critical for healthcare security decision-makers to re-evaluate the way they manage, distribute, and provide access to identifiable health information.

And while they face tougher regulatory standards for information, healthcare organizations are also trying to improve the way information is used in the organization to help staff communicate and collaborate more effectively. Balancing the need for collaboration with compliance and risk mitigation may seem like a tough balancing act, but Jefferson Memorial Hospital, in Jefferson County, Missouri, offers an interesting case study in how to accomplish both aims. Jefferson Memorial has been able to enhance communication, collaboration and knowledge sharing by connecting all stakeholders across the organization's core communities within a secure online environment that is cost effective, flexible and easy to manage and administer.

In a recently released podcast, Josh Bauman, Systems Analyst at Jefferson Memorial Hospital, discusses the hospital's solution, based on software from Open Text's Communications Solutions Group FirstClass. The solution helps the hospital's physicians, nurses and administrators communicate, collaborate and adhere to patient-privacy regulations. The podcast also highlights challenges Jefferson Memorial faced with regards to legal and policy-based compliance requirements and its old email system. In addition, it also talks about a range of FirstClass features including its archiving capabilities that have afforded significant savings for the hospital.

You can read more about Jefferson Memorial in a recently published success story.