Use of intranets / extranets for HIPAA compliance

Collaboration among healthcare professionals, particularly in circumstances that require the sharing of confidential patient information, requires an intranet or extranet that offers enhanced security features. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) has three major requirements: * Protect the privacy of individual health information * Provide the necessary security to protect the privacy of individual health information * Provide standardization of electronic data interchange in health care transactions Addressing this need, intranets and extranets are now available that meet these security requirements. As you consider the implementation of an intranet or extranet, look for the following security 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 own password, * The ability to create strong passwords. * Complete, un-editable activity log for security audits Choosing a web-based solution To speed the implementation of an intranet or extranet with these features, an increasingly popular approach is to use an Application Service Provider (ASP). In addition to providing an immediate solution that has the appropriate security features in-place, the advantages of a web-based ASP include a lower cost of entry, a proven track-record of performance and no need to install intranet software or extranet software. Laura Schwiker writes extensively on the use of technology by businesspeople and is an evangelist for online collaboration and collaboration software.