Category: HealthTech

Mental Health EHR Software: A Practical Overview

Posted on by Sahar Butt

A mental health Electronic Health Record (EHR) software is a specialized software system designed to manage and store electronic health records specific to mental health care. It is a digital platform that allows mental health professionals to document, track, and manage patient information and treatment processes.

Mental health EHR software typically includes features tailored to the unique needs of mental health practices. These features may include progress note templates, treatment plan templates, assessment tools, outcome measures, medication management, scheduling, billing, and secure communication functionalities. The software enables mental health professionals to efficiently document patient encounters, track treatment progress, and collaborate with other healthcare providers involved in a patient’s care.

The primary purpose of mental health EHR software is to improve the quality of care, streamline administrative processes, enhance communication, and ensure the secure storage and accessibility of patient information. It helps mental health professionals streamline their workflows, improve documentation accuracy, and make informed decisions based on comprehensive patient data. Additionally, mental health EHR software often integrates with other healthcare systems, such as labs and pharmacies, to facilitate data exchange and enhance care coordination.

Benefits of Mental Health EHR Software

Mental health Electronic Health Record (EHR) software offers numerous benefits for mental health professionals and their patients. Here are some key advantages:

Efficient and Streamlined Documentation: EHR software streamlines the documentation process by providing pre-built templates, forms, and assessments specifically designed for mental health care. This saves time and ensures consistent and comprehensive documentation of patient encounters, progress notes, treatment plans, and outcomes.

Enhanced Coordination and Collaboration: EHR software enables seamless communication and collaboration among mental health professionals and other healthcare providers involved in a patient’s care. It facilitates secure sharing of patient information, referral management, and care coordination, leading to improved continuity of care.

Access to Comprehensive Patient Information: EHRs provide mental health professionals with instant access to comprehensive patient information, including medical history, treatment plans, medications, allergies, and lab results. Having this information readily available supports informed decision-making and improves patient safety.

Improved Medication Management: EHR software assists mental health professionals in managing medications effectively. It allows for electronic prescribing, drug interaction checks, and automatic reminders for medication refills or adjustments. This helps prevent medication errors and improves medication adherence.

Data-Driven Decision Making: EHRs generate valuable insights from aggregated patient data, enabling mental health professionals to make data-driven decisions. Analytics and reporting tools within the software can help identify treatment patterns, track outcomes, and monitor population health trends, leading to improved treatment efficacy and better patient outcomes.

Increased Patient Engagement: EHR software often includes patient portals or online communication tools that promote patient engagement. Patients can securely access their health records, communicate with their mental health providers, access educational resources, and actively participate in their treatment planning and self-management.

Enhanced Billing and Reimbursement: EHRs streamline billing and reimbursement processes by automating coding, documentation, and claims submission. This reduces administrative burdens, improves accuracy, and helps mental health practices optimize revenue capture and financial management.

Regulatory Compliance: Mental health EHR software is designed to comply with privacy and security regulations, such as HIPAA. It includes features like access controls, audit trails, and data encryption to safeguard patient information and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

Increased Practice Efficiency: EHR software improves overall practice efficiency by reducing paperwork, eliminating manual tasks, and automating administrative processes. Mental health professionals can focus more on patient care and spend less time on administrative burdens.

Long-Term Data Storage and Accessibility: EHRs provide secure and centralized storage of patient records, eliminating the need for physical storage space. This ensures long-term accessibility to patient information, even as practices transition or expand their services.

When choosing mental health EHR software, there are several important factors to consider. These factors will help ensure that the selected software meets the unique needs of your mental health practice. Here are key factors to consider:

Mental Health-Specific Features

Look for EHR software specifically designed for mental health practices. It should have features tailored to mental health workflows, including progress note templates, treatment plan templates, assessment tools, outcome measures, and specific documentation requirements for different mental health specialties.

Usability and Interface

Consider the software’s user interface and ease of use. The system should be intuitive and user-friendly, allowing mental health professionals to navigate and document efficiently. A clean and organized interface can enhance user adoption and productivity.

Customization and Flexibility

Ensure that the EHR software allows customization to match your practice’s specific requirements. It should offer options to create custom templates, forms, and workflows, enabling you to adapt the software to your preferred documentation and treatment processes.

Interoperability and Integration

Check the software’s ability to integrate with other systems and share data securely. It should support interoperability standards, such as HL7, and enable seamless data exchange with laboratories, pharmacies, and other healthcare providers. Integration with billing systems can also streamline financial processes.

Security and Privacy

Data security is crucial in mental health practice. Ensure that the EHR software complies with privacy regulations like HIPAA. It should have robust security measures, such as encryption, access controls, audit logs, and regular software updates to address potential vulnerabilities.

Vendor Reputation and Support

Research the reputation and track record of the EHR software vendor. Look for positive customer reviews, testimonials, and case studies. Assess the vendor’s responsiveness to support inquiries, training resources available, and ongoing customer support options.

Scalability and Growth

Consider the scalability of the EHR software as your practice expands. It should accommodate an increasing number of users, patient records, and the addition of new services or locations. Evaluate if the software can adapt to future practice needs and technological advancements.

Cost and Return on Investment

Assess the total cost of ownership, including upfront costs, ongoing maintenance fees, and potential customization or integration expenses. Consider the potential return on investment in terms of increased efficiency, improved patient care, and reduced administrative burdens.

Demonstration and Trial

Request a software demonstration or trial period to evaluate the software firsthand. This allows you to assess the user experience, system functionality, and how well it aligns with your practice’s requirements.

Best Practices for Successful Implementation

Best practices for successfully implementing the use of a mental health EHR software include the following.

  1. Needs Assessment: Conduct a thorough assessment of your practice’s specific needs and requirements. Identify the features and functionalities that are essential for your mental health practice, taking into account factors such as documentation, scheduling, billing, and collaboration.
  2. User Involvement: Involve key stakeholders, including mental health professionals, administrative staff, and IT personnel, in the selection and implementation process. Their input and involvement will help ensure that the EHR system meets the needs of all users and aligns with workflow requirements.
  3. Training and Education: Provide comprehensive training to all staff members who will be using the EHR software. Offer training sessions, workshops, and online resources to familiarize users with the system’s features, functionalities, and workflows. Ongoing education and support will help users become proficient and maximize the benefits of the EHR system.
  4. Customization and Configuration: Tailor the EHR software to match your practice’s specific requirements. Customize templates, forms, and workflows to align with your documentation needs and treatment processes. Work closely with the software vendor or implementation team to configure the system to best suit your practice.
  5. Data Migration and Integration: Ensure smooth data migration from existing systems to the new EHR software. Collaborate with the implementation team to map and transfer patient data accurately, preserving data integrity and confidentiality. Integrate the EHR system with other relevant systems, such as billing or lab systems, to streamline workflows and reduce manual entry.
  6. Change Management: Implement change management strategies to help staff members adapt to the new EHR software. Clearly communicate the benefits of the system, address concerns, and provide ongoing support during the transition period. Encourage open communication and feedback to facilitate a smooth transition and promote user acceptance.
  7. Workflow Optimization: Continuously assess and optimize workflows to maximize the benefits of the EHR software. Identify areas for improvement and refine processes to enhance efficiency, reduce duplicate work, and streamline clinical workflows. Regularly review and update workflows as needed to ensure they align with the capabilities of the EHR system.
  8. Data Security and Privacy: Implement robust security measures to protect patient data within the EHR system. Ensure compliance with relevant privacy regulations, such as HIPAA, and establish protocols for data backup, access controls, and data breach response. Regularly update and maintain the EHR system to address security vulnerabilities and stay current with security best practices.

Future Trends and Innovations in Mental Health EHR Software

The mental health EHR software field continues to evolve, driven by advancements in technology and the increasing demand for improved mental health care. Here are some future trends and innovations to watch out for in mental health EHR software:

Telehealth Integration

Mental health EHRs will increasingly integrate with telehealth platforms, allowing seamless virtual care delivery, remote patient monitoring, and secure video consultations. This integration promotes accessibility, expands reach, and enhances patient engagement.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)

EHR systems will leverage AI and ML algorithms to analyze vast amounts of patient data, identify patterns, and provide decision support to mental health professionals. These technologies can assist in personalized treatment recommendations, risk assessment, and early detection of mental health conditions.

Mobile and Cloud-Based Solutions

Mobile applications and cloud-based EHR solutions will become more prevalent, enabling mental health professionals to access and update patient information on the go, improving flexibility, and enhancing care coordination.

Interoperability and Data Exchange

Mental health EHR systems will prioritize interoperability, allowing seamless sharing of patient information with other healthcare providers and systems. This enables comprehensive and coordinated care, reducing duplication of efforts and improving patient outcomes.

Patient Engagement and Self-Management

EHR software will increasingly empower patients to actively participate in mental health care. Features such as patient portals, secure messaging, self-assessment tools, and educational resources will promote engagement, self-management, and shared decision-making.

Predictive Analytics

Mental health EHRs will incorporate predictive analytics to identify individuals at higher risk of developing mental health conditions or experiencing relapses. This can support proactive interventions and preventive measures, improving outcomes and reducing healthcare costs.

Natural Language Processing (NLP)

NLP capabilities will enhance the efficiency of EHR documentation by enabling mental health professionals to use voice recognition or natural language inputs to generate structured data. This saves time and improves accuracy in capturing clinical information.

Data Security and Privacy Enhancements

Mental health EHR systems will continue to prioritize robust data security measures to protect patient information from cybersecurity threats. Advanced encryption, access controls, and audit trails will be implemented to ensure privacy and compliance with data protection regulations.

Embracing Digital Transformation in Healthcare

By embracing the power of mental health EHR software, mental health professionals can streamline their practices, enhance patient care, and pave the way for a more efficient and integrated mental healthcare system. Embracing digital transformation is not just a choice but a necessity to unlock the full potential of mental health care in the modern era. For this, organizations can partner with software providers specializing in healthcare IT services and easily embrace the power of digital healthcare systems. 

FAQs related to Mental Health EHR Software

While no universal legal requirement exists for mental health professionals to use Electronic Health Records (EHRs), their adoption is increasingly encouraged. Factors such as government incentives, organizational requirements, funding and reimbursement policies, collaborative care models, and the desire for efficiency and quality of care contribute to the growing use of EHRs in mental health. EHRs facilitate the secure storage and sharing of patient information, streamline documentation, support clinical decision-making, and enhance coordination among healthcare providers. While challenges exist, such as implementation costs and workflow adjustments, mental health professionals can benefit from improved patient care and practice management by adopting EHR systems. Ultimately, the decision to use EHRs should consider local regulations, practice needs, and the potential advantages of digital record-keeping in mental health care.

Yes. EHRs are designed to encompass a wide range of healthcare services, including mental health care. Mental health professionals can effectively use EHRs to document and manage patient information, treatment plans, progress notes, medications, and other relevant data specific to mental health care. EHRs tailored for mental health services provide features and functionalities that cater to the unique needs of mental health practitioners and support the delivery of comprehensive and coordinated care. By adopting EHRs, mental health professionals can streamline their workflow, enhance communication and collaboration among care teams, improve patient outcomes, and facilitate evidence-based practice. Mental health professionals must explore and select EHR systems designed for mental health care to ensure their practice’s best utilization and benefits.

  1. Familiarize yourself with the EHR software and its features.
  2. Enter patient demographic information into the system.
  3. Utilize the EHR’s documentation tools for progress notes and treatment plans.
  4. Manage medications using the EHR’s features for prescriptions and refills.
  5. Schedule appointments and send reminders using the EHR’s scheduling functionality.
  6. Collaborate with other healthcare providers using the EHR’s communication tools.
  7. Use the EHR’s billing features for accurate documentation and claims processing.
  8. Ensure data security and privacy compliance with HIPAA regulations.
  9. Stay updated with training and support from the EHR software vendor.

Aspects to consider when developing mental health & wellness apps

Posted on by Adina Humayoon

Living with a mental health disorder can be an uphill battle, and it only gets harder when people around you fail to understand the gravity of the situation and simply portray the disease as laziness or procrastination. In both developed and underdeveloped nations, mental health issues continue to be the leading cause of disability and death by suicide. Alarming statistics suggest that about 20% of adolescents live with a mental health disorder, highlighting the pressing need for effective treatment and support systems.

In this age of technological advancement, healthcare app development and mental health apps have emerged as a boom for individuals grappling with psychological issues. These apps offer a safe and anonymous platform for seeking help, without the need for in-person therapy. Moreover, with the convenience and accessibility of smartphones, mental health apps can be a valuable resource for individuals looking to improve their mental health and well-being. 

However, while developing a mental health app, ensuring the privacy and confidentiality of users should be a top priority. Regulatory guidelines, such as GDPR and HIPAA compliance, should be strictly adhered to in software development. The availability of the app on different platforms, along with the features it offers, are also crucial aspects that developers need to consider.

The possibilities for the features that a mental health app can offer are endless, ranging from guided meditation to therapy sessions with licensed professionals. In order to make a positive impact on the mental health of users, developers must ensure that their apps are inclusive, user-friendly, and comprehensive in addressing a range of psychological illnesses.

In this article, we will delve deeper into the development processes of mental health apps and explore the essential elements that go into creating a successful and effective mental health app.

How to develop a mental health app?

The increasing use of mobile phones amounts to more than half of the audience on the web, hence the reason why businesses are steering towards creating mobile-friendly systems and apps for various mental health services. You’ll find some of the best mental health apps trending due to their accessible nature that allows patients and doctors to stay connected remotely, always keeping a check on their cases. And it further creates a sense of relief for users that a solution is available, just a click away. 

But before we get into how these apps are created, and what makes them some of the best mental health apps, let us take a look at the most common types of mental health apps. 

Types of Mental Health Apps

Mental disorder apps: These apps offer features like mood monitoring and psychotherapy to help individuals cope with mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

PTSD apps: These apps provide tools to manage anger and anxiety, including breathing exercises, music selection, and self-talk methods. Some apps allow integration with healthcare apps and emergency contacts for easy access to assistance.

Eating disorder apps: These apps include mental health tracking features in addition to diet tracking to help individuals with eating disorders manage their symptoms. They also provide goal-setting and meal recommendations.

Meditation and self-improvement apps: These apps focus on stress management, relaxation, mindfulness, effective breathing, and anxiety management to help users practice relaxation techniques and manage stress.

CBT-based apps: These apps use cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques to help users reframe negative thoughts, develop coping skills, and change harmful behaviors, especially among women. They often provide interactive tools and activities to guide users through the therapy process.

Understanding vital KPIs & target audience for mental health apps

Did you know, every 1 in 4 people may suffer from mental health issues at some point in their lives, and nearly 970 million are currently struggling with major mental issues and drug abuse? While the disease is very common, the symptoms and cases heavily vary from person to person, so mental health apps must be feasible in catering to all demographics. An integral part of a mental health app will focus closely on the following aspects:

  1. Audience
  2. Similar/common issues
  3. Current mental state

In order to create a well-rounded and effective application, one must comply with the following KPIs, and abide by these holy grail elements while creating mental health apps

User needs and goals

One of the most crucial aspects to consider when developing a mental health application is the needs and goals of the target audience. Mental health issues vary from person to person, and the app should be tailored to meet the specific needs of the users. Conducting user research, user interviews, and surveys can help in understanding the user’s mental health needs and designing an application that is useful and engaging.

Mental health experts

It is important to consult with mental health experts when developing a mental health app. Mental health professionals, including psychologists and psychiatrists, can provide valuable insights into the latest trends in mental health, common mental health issues, and the most effective treatment approaches. This can help ensure the application’s content and features are accurate, effective, and relevant to the target audience.

Features and functionality

The features and functionality of the application should be developed keeping in mind the specific mental health issues it aims to address. For example, if the app focuses on anxiety, it may include guided meditations, breathing exercises, and cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques. It is essential to develop an app that is easy to navigate, engaging, and meets the user’s needs. Additionally, the app should be developed with the ability to personalize and adapt to the user’s progress and feedback.

Design and user experience

The design and user experience of the application should be intuitive and engaging. A user-friendly interface with easy-to-navigate features can encourage users to engage with the app regularly. The app’s design should be visually appealing, with clear and concise messaging that aligns with the app’s intended purpose. Design elements, such as typography, color, and imagery, should also be consistent with the app’s branding and messaging.

Accessible

The app should be accessible to all users, regardless of their ability, age, or ethnicity. This includes providing language options and ensuring the app is compatible with assistive technology such as screen readers. Moreover, the app should be optimized for different devices and screen sizes, ensuring a seamless user experience across multiple platforms.

Evidence-based

The application should be developed using evidence-based practices, including research and studies conducted by mental health professionals. Evidence-based practices ensure that the app’s interventions are effective and supported by scientific research. The app should also provide clear information on the source of its content and interventions and cite any relevant studies or research.

Regular updates

Regular updates can ensure that the app is up-to-date with the latest research and developments in mental health. This includes adding new features, updating content, and fixing bugs. Additionally, regular updates can help maintain the user’s engagement and interest in the app.

Ethical considerations

To ensure ethical standards in the mental health app development process, it is important to take into account factors such as the use of non-stigmatizing language and obtaining informed consent from users before collecting their personal information. These considerations should be integrated into the development process to ensure that the end product is ethical and respects the rights and privacy of users.

Privacy and security

Mental health information is highly sensitive and should be handled with the utmost care. The application should have robust privacy and security features to protect users’ personal and health-related information. It is important to comply with local data protection laws and regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union and HIPPA in the United States of America. Moreover, the app should provide clear information on how user data is collected, stored, and used.

Partnerships and collaborations

Developing partnerships with mental health organizations and professionals can help ensure that the application is relevant, effective, and based on the latest research. It can also help to increase the app’s credibility and reach.

In the end

Mental health and wellness app development is a niche that requires special attention to detail in order to succeed. And their success depends on how well their customer retention rate is, or how well it is in helping customers reach their goals. Developing a mental health and wellness app requires careful consideration of various aspects, including the type of application, target audience, features, privacy, and availability. 

These apps can provide a safe and anonymous space for individuals to access treatment and support for their mental health disorders. The use of technology and mobile applications has significantly reduced the stigma surrounding mental health and increased access to care for individuals who may not have otherwise sought help. 

Learning Management System for Healthcare: Essence and Key Benefits

Posted on by Adina Humayoon

Did you know that the global e-learning market was valued at nearly $197 Billion in 2020, and the numbers are projected to soar to up to $840.11 billion by 2030. Out of this, the healthcare learning market itself reached USD 110.54 Billion in 2022, and the forecast for upcoming years is only projecting a brighter future. Of all these figures, Learning management systems (LMS) are still dominating the e-learning market as 84% of organizations use this system. 

In a fast-paced and rapid industry like healthcare, engaging and organizing educational content and upkeeping skills traditionally is near impossible. In a high-functioning healthcare workplace, gathering all the employees and arranging crucial teaching sessions is not only stressful, but it will create a bottleneck of patients and workload within the organization and the hospital, resulting in disrupted patient care and an endless backlog. 

What’s the best possible way to not only help your employees gain the knowledge and skill they require to perform their current job in the healthcare sector with ease but also keep a track of all of this information? A learning management system for healthcare. Before diving deeper into the technicalities, let’s take a look at what a healthcare learning management system is and how has benefited the industry itself throughout its inception.  

Essence of LMS: What is a learning management system for healthcare?

A learning management system is a software solution developed for the healthcare sector, mainly hospitals, clinics, and other major medical facilities. It aims to provide an update on medical professionals with courses, education, and training to maintain their skill sets based on current trends, research, and discoveries. With rapid changes in healthcare and medicine, it is a necessity for e-learning for healthcare. 

Keeping oneself updated with the right operating procedures, research papers, and discoveries bring about numerous benefits to not just the healthcare professional, but their patients and the people associated with them as well. LMS is simple and highly accessible, like a pocket educational system that teaches, helps you revise, and tests your knowledge based on what you have learned. 

LMS is affiliated with all the top educational systems, making it legit, and is always working in compliance with all the top medical regulations like HIPPA, OSHA, ACTM, etc. Complying with the official rules set by them will

7 Vital Benefits of Healthcare LMS

1. Efficient Talent Management

Healthcare is a competitive field that requires employees and workers to always be equipped with the best and most recent knowledge, along with the right expertise to cater to their patients. Therefore, healthcare learning management systems not only help you add to your pool of talent but also keep in check their expertise, helping them stay ahead of the curve through various training programs. 

A well-trained healthcare professional will not only boost the quality of patient cares within your system but also help promote a healthy culture amongst its peers, maintaining a good reputation throughout.

2. Updated Training Material

LMS companies always have the best and most recent learning materials available for their workers at all times. In a tech-driven era where everything changes at the bat of an eye, keeping up was never this easy with an agile learning management system. By frequently updating and deploying new courses on a healthcare LMS it lets geographically dispersed students get first-hand access to top-quality resources in a well-documented e-learning environment. 

3. Reduced Training Cost

Remote learning and agile learning methods globally have resulted in reduced costs that yield way better results than traditional physical learning and education system. From saving costs of hiring trainers, to their accommodations and classroom rents, Healthcare LMS has evolved the way teaching and learning take place altogether. 

4. Flexible Schedule Management 

With learning materials readily available 24/7 on a remote device, who needs to take time out for classes separately from an already busy schedule? LMS allows workers to create their own study schedule, and take lessons and training bit-by-bit, chunk-by-chunk, helping them not only process and retain information in a relaxed environment. 

5. Security and Confidentiality

To ensure doctor-patient confidentiality, an LMS is encrypted well enough to maintain the security and confidentiality it requires. It always abides by the state’s healthcare security and ethical laws like HIPPA, PIPEDA, IEC 62304, and GDPR. A good learning management system will always be secure with two-factor authentication and permission-based access to ensure the data stays in place.

6. Effective Monitoring

Organizations running on healthcare LMS rely on the progress and performance of each employee presented within the system. It helps them track their current trainings that are in progress, and the ones that they have scheduled for later. Administration can also include their own assessments to test out how well the training went, and how well they retained information. 

7. Blended Learning Support

A well-made healthcare LMS supports different mediums and modules of work for workers to benefit from. Whether it be e-learning, offline, or web-based training, a blended learning system helps gain insights and experiences that simple e-learning cannot on its own.

Conclusion

Healthcare is a complex and extremely challenging field that requires its workers to stay up to date constantly with new technologies, reports, research, and patient-care techniques. And with their busy schedules, a reliable and well-constructed learning environment is the only way to achieve these business goals. A custom-made healthcare learning management system is the key that bridge the gap between a well-maintained healthcare system.

FAQs for Learning Management System for Healthcare

An LMS is an overall tool used by medical professionals that allows them to not only track but maintain their workload, medical certifications, and necessary data to help them grow their expertise and professional knowledge.

A learning management system that keeps doctors and medical professionals up to date with patient care, personal goals, and training, while tracking the growth of their fellow trainee staff.

It is essential for healthcare professionals to upskill their prior educational learning as it is not only a necessity, but is beneficial. The four common benefits are:

  • Refine skills for patient care
  • Stay up to date with recent research
  • Updated on practice
  • Address real-world challenges

Tracking skills and certifications is the key feature within an LMS that helps organizations stay up-to-date on their employees’ professional progress and their overall expertise.

Top HIPAA Misconceptions & Myths Debunked

Posted on by Adina Humayoon

Healthcare and wellness application development is not a piece of cake, while we all may have our 2 cents on what we can include and exclude within the app, and what’s “trending”, there is compliance to follow. While regular app development has a strict rule book to follow, so does application development within the healthcare industry. And that cannot go by without the uber-strict HIPAA laws that are the epitome of debunking common HIPAA misconceptions that arise due to sheer negligence. 

If you’re a newbie and wondering what HIPAA stands for its Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. A federal law in the United States that has set a national standard for patient data protection and privacy of their sensitive medical health information and records. It’s an essential factor within healthcare and medicine that helps regulate laws, ensure compliance within legal jurisdictions, and protect patients’ privacy and rights, while also maintaining & improving the quality of healthcare provided.

HIPAA is strictly an American federal law, but every region practices a similar route with its own laws and regulations. The European Union follows General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), while there are other globally known guidelines from International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 27799 that focus on information security management in healthcare. 

With that being said, it’s essential to be aware of all the rights patients have while getting any sort of medical treatment. In the era of fast information and the internet, it is common to come across various HIPAA misconceptions that can start a chain reaction of misguided information. And we’re precisely here to help you debunk all of the top myths that we’ve heard over the course of years. 

Myth #1: HIPAA does not apply to all healthcare providers

FACT: HIPAA applies to any and all healthcare providers who transmit, store, or handle protected health information.

HIPAA doesn’t pick and choose any healthcare facility or provider for compliance, they apply to all healthcare entities and facilities. If your system in any way handles Protected Health Information (PHI), then you are bound to be subjected to HIPAA regulations. The PHI includes any patient’s name, address, social security number, etc. 

If the healthcare system uses a third-party or cloud-based provider to store or transfer information, that too must be an active follower of HIPAA law. In case of a data breach within a non-HIPAA-compliant server, be prepared for the consequences that will follow in the form of lawsuits and litigations.

Myth #2: HIPAA privacy rules are strictly for electronic records

FACT: HIPAA covers all patient records, regardless of their nature.

Medical records and patient records are still records that can be accessed, stored, stolen, or breached, regardless of their nature. HIPAA indeed prohibits you from disclosing PHI in electronic communications, but the same rules and regulations are applied to paper-based records and files too. 

Despite the difference in mediums, patient data is still patient data that can be transmitted, putting it at high risk of a breach if no privacy rules are applied. Your facility still has to adhere to HIPAA compliance and the privacy rules that come along with it. Also, who deals in paper-based health records now anyways? 

Myth #3: HIPAA strictly prohibits email correspondence between doctors and patients

FACT: The HIPAA Privacy Rule allows providers to use many different means of communication, up to and including emails.

While HIPAA pays close attention to doctor-patient confidentiality, this doesn’t affect their mode of communication to be diverse. As long as high-grade encryption and security are practiced, especially while transferring medical reports and data, email is a safe mode of communication. 

Emails are otherwise a more genuine and responsible way to transfer and track data, as well as the history of the patient. But it is necessary to safeguard your email credentials and the systems you log into. 

Myth #4: Employers can get access to employee’s healthcare information

FACT: HIPAA prohibits healthcare providers from disclosing personal health information to employers without patients’ consent.

Employers are never allowed to access the healthcare information of their employees regardless of whether they are on the company’s health insurance or not. Healthcare providers are also not allowed to share any information based on an employee’s health until and unless explicit written permission is granted. 

Meanwhile, any other mental health surveys conducted by HR do not come under any HIPAA laws or compliances as well. 

Myth #5: Patients can sue their healthcare providers for violating HIPAA

FACT: Even in case of a violation of the HIPAA Privacy Rule, patients cannot sue healthcare providers.

One of the very common misconceptions about HIPAA is that it takes private patient-doctor lawsuits into action and consideration. While a patient can easily report or file a complaint against their healthcare provider, it never goes up in court straight away. 

A healthcare provider’s lack of HIPAA compliance or privacy regulations that a patient reports are submitted for investigation first. If there are any reasonable grounds for conviction, the Secretary of Health and Human Services does so at their own discretion. 

So, if next time a Karen tries to threaten your healthcare practice with a lawsuit, ensure that they won’t be able to do anything, apart from submitting a written complaint. The real court of HIPAA law is under the Secretary of Health and Human Services only, which will impose penalties and criminal sanctions if negligence is proven upon investigation.

Myth #6: A doctor cannot share medical records with another doctor

FACT: A doctor can send medical records to another doctor without your explicit consent.

It is normal for doctors within the same vicinity to share and discuss various cases of various patients, and get insights and possible new diagnoses and treatment plans. Hence, it is allowed for doctors to share the medical records of their patients for as long as it is in the patient’s best interest. 

It is also stated within the privacy rules of HIPAA that for the purpose of treatment, payment, or other vital healthcare operations, information can be shared without the patient’s consent. With that being said, healthcare providers can also share information with family members who are listed by the patient, and for payment purposes as well. 

Myth #7: It’s your right to have unrestricted access to your medical information

FACT: It’s a bit more complicated than that.

Since it’s your healthcare records, you have a right to access ALL the information listed within a hospital’s records, right? Wrong. 

While you can request the information, you are not entitled to it, and hospitals can deny that request if it can harm your well-being. These cases are strictly linked to mental health or psychiatric patients and cases where the patient is at risk of harm if certain information regarding their health is disclosed. 

Apart from that, you can obtain all the necessary reports and records easily by following the right steps to acquire them. 

Myth #8: HIPAA prohibits calling out patients’ names

FACT: The Privacy Rule explicitly permits certain incidental disclosures that occur as a by-product of an otherwise permitted disclosure

One of the most common HIPAA misconceptions is that you are not allowed to mention or call out the name of the patient in the hospital. While discretion is still advised when catering to other patients, it is not against HIPAA laws or anything of the sort. 

Safeguarding identity and treatment confidentiality is a must, especially in cases that involve mental health and fertility. While calling out a patient’s name is not an objectionable act, it is advised to keep the purpose of the visit and treatment private.

Final Thoughts

It’s always encouraged for everyone to do their research when it comes to understanding HIPAA laws, especially if you have a deeper link within the healthcare industry, as a healthcare provider, patient, or healthcare application developer. These HIPAA misconceptions are nothing that can’t be solved with a little Google search or basic common sense. While it is also important to be aware of the rights that the state provides every individual in healthcare. 

The legal aspects of launching a pharma app

Posted on by Adina Humayoon

Medical applications and devices usually have a separate fanbase amongst the audience. Not only do they cater to many users’ pet peeves of reducing hospital and pharmacy visits, but they also provide accurate results. Health and pharmacy apps have been a source of great help throughout the pandemic by reducing the hefty visits to a pharmacy and standing in long queues to get even the basic medicines of sorts. 

As stated, as much as it makes a citizen’s life simple, creating a pharmacy app and getting it right the first time is extremely tricky. A lot of aspects find themselves involved if words like healthcare, pharmacy, or medicine are a part of it.

If any mobile app is fulfilling a medical purpose, according to the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration), it is subject to getting approval from the FDA to launch in the market. 

“If a mobile app is intended for use in performing a medical device function (i.e., for diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease) it is a medical device and therefore subject to FDA oversight.”

This is true by all means because most of the applications found on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store do enable users to use their mobile phones as medical devices with the assistance of these applications. So naturally, FDA has to intervene to maintain its guidelines and regulations. 

With that said, the FDA is not the only legal aspect that a pharma app development company has to follow. The company does not have much choice, as the health regulator’s approval is necessary for it to pass through to the right audience.

If you are new to the healthcare industry or are looking forward to creating an impactful product in the healthcare sector with a digital healthcare solution like a pharmacy application, then these are some of the legal factors you must abide by before pushing the final product out in the market.

Hippa compliance

What Legal Aspects Do You Need to Consider Before Launching a Pharm App?

HIPAA

HIPAA, also known as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, is a federal law that revolves around protecting the patient’s sensitive information from being disclosed. This information consists of the ones users have entered on your application while creating an account or placing an order for their medical and pharmaceutical needs. 

HIPAA’s involvement in a healthcare and pharma application is something that will be inevitable now or in the future after you have developed your application. It is wise not to rely on any app developers to keep your application in compliance with HIPAA regulations and to understand the data aspects of the application themselves. 

It’s smart and safe to plan ahead when creating pharmacy apps or other healthcare apps that require you to insert information linked to your medicinal history. Complying with the HIPAA regulations from the initial stages of pharma app development will keep you on track regarding the security rules and disclosures to prevent you from breaching any HIPAA laws due to your application. 

Sales tax

Healthcare applications that revolve around the concept of buying and selling, like online pharmacy apps, must comply with the sales tax allocated for each product by the government. You, as an owner, must be familiar with the tax situation of your state and the ones from where you are generating your supplies.

Not all states follow the same tax laws, so a thorough investigation of each product is necessary. Some taxes may be high, some low, so in order to stay up to date on your tax returns and avoid trouble with the authorities over your it, complete your research on all ends and conduct your online business accordingly.

Privacy laws (National and International)

Most pharma apps have their bases defined when it comes to the location and the geographical reach of their company. But this comes after close consideration of all the aspects that are involved in the vast reach of the application and its audience. It is common for pharmacy apps to see the light of day in states other than their own, so software development applications have to keep a keen eye on all the legal technicalities involved.

The state/country’s privacy laws, tax laws, and financial regulations must be considered. If the app is operating and conducting sales in other states, it must abide by their privacy laws regarding the seller, buyer, and patient themselves.

The healthcare regulatory environment

Healthcare authorizations and regulations go far beyond the FDA or HIPPA. Apart from the regional and international laws, pharma app development companies must prepare themselves for other regulators with whom they may have never interacted before.

Healthcare applications and online medical apps tend to make developers vulnerable to further investigation and checks and balances. If your health care app takes a leap onto the internet, you may subject yourself to the rules of various third-party companies, even those of the Federal Trade Commission’s Rules and Regulations, so always be prepared for the unseen. 

FAQs for Legal aspects of launching a pharma app

Medical apps that attempt to perform functions of a medical device are the ones that FDA regulates. Other than that, applications that are used to monitor medical records, patient care, educational and medical training, and so on are not bound by FDA regulators.

Pharmaceutical regulations are for the safety and well-being of the patient and the medical staff itself. These regulations perform a check and balance on the drugs that are launched in the market along with their quality control and usage.

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Survive now, thrive later: Your guide to staying relevant during & post-COVID-19

Posted on by Saad Fazil

Out of the major victims of the COVID-19 pandemic are brick-and-mortar businesses. It may look increasingly grim but there is a silver lining. Once the smoke clears, and retail life begins anew, it’s going to look extremely different. Retailers who balked at the very thought of going ‘digital’ will now have no choice but to acquiesce. They will have to find a way to bridge the gap between their products & services and their consumers. On-demand delivery is the next logical step.

Are you digitally fit?

Most retailers already have a digital presence, usually involving social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, and so on. Pretty basic. Some might even have an online store and an on-demand plan, meaning that they work with FoodPanda, Uber, Careem, Amazon, eBay, and so on. A minute subset of them would have their own in-house delivery and e-commerce channels (website, mobile app, delivery network, etc.).

The lack of an online retail strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic is not an option. Businesses that were growing organically or with little effort focused on social media presence & marketing, before the pandemic, are not going to survive if they continue to follow the same strategy. They must become digitally fit by offering on-demand delivery services if they want to survive and thrive. Take a look at the food industry – pre-pandemic mature markets reported roughly 25% of sales through online food delivery. Michelin star chef, TJ Steele, redesigned his menu to focus on comfort food instead of his trademark complex dishes so that he could stay relevant. Jamie Oliver had to close down his business because of their no-delivery policy. Online delivery has become an essential part of e-commerce, retail, and food businesses, and the need for it has risen dramatically ever since the lockdown began.

The current situation

The world’s economy is taking a serious hit. It’s essential, now more than ever, to make it easy for consumers to access essential products, services, and goods, from the comfort of their homes, via on-demand delivery apps. Some examples include grocery delivery apps, pharmacy delivery services, laundry delivery, etc.

The kind of economic shock we’re talking about can exhibit three different types of trends, according to an article published in the Harvard Business Review:

Harvard Business Review |  What Coronavirus Could Mean for the Global Economy

The article further depicts Coronavirus to have a ‘V-shaped’ impact, which would be in line with all the prior epidemics, including the 2002 SARS, the 1968 H3N2 ‘Hong Kong’ flu, 1958 H2N2 ‘Asian’ flu, and the 1918 Spanish flu.

If what the evidence suggests is true, businesses should aim to get at least 40% of their sales online through the on-demand delivery of goods and services. While this may not be enough to keep them afloat, it will still pay out massively when the pandemic finally dies down and things settle into the new normal.

The road to digital transformation

If you are just beginning to build your business’s online presence, and automate your delivery services, here are the three most basic, yet important, things you should consider:

  1. Social media and the world wide web
    Whether you are aware of it or not, your business is most likely listed on Google and Google Maps. It might even have ratings and reviews. Similarly, your lack of presence on social media does not mean that people are not talking about you online. If you do not have a presence online, then set it up now. Start a page on Facebook and Instagram and you monitor your listings on Google Maps, Yelp, Foursquare, and the like. Building your social presence organically before you look into paid marketing.
  2. Delivery and e-commerce aggregators
    Ideally, you should be listed on delivery and e-commerce aggregators. They do charge a hefty commission ranging from 15-30% but because consumers use these channels, you have little choice but to be there. If your goods are more last-mile/on-demand (e.g. groceries, snacks, food), then you also need to work with on-demand aggregators (Uber Eats, Foodpanda, Cheetay, etc). If you are selling items that are not necessarily last-mile or local (electronics, for example) then you need to have a store on e-commerce aggregators (Daraz in Pakistan, for example).
  3. Create your own channel
    Look into developing your own mobile app or website & web apps for on-demand delivery, backed by in-house riders. Domino’s and Chipotle Grill in the US have done this exceptionally well. If you choose to create your own channel:
    • You can save on the commission to the aggregators
    • Build your own brand as opposed to being lost in a flood of other competing brands
    • Keep your existing customer relationships
    • Be in charge of your own destiny
    • Potential to make e-commerce a viable Business Unit on its own

This option is more difficult and costly but ultimately the most rewarding. It requires serious focus and investment and deep expertise in Design/User Experience, Growth hacking, and Operations/Delivery. If this is not something you know about or can manage then you can look into VentureDive’s white-label platform, IMPact Delivery. We understand that a technology platform is only the beginning. We are ready to help you in supporting functions, such as growth hacking and delivery operations. Reach out today so you too can survive and thrive!

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How we did it: insight into our QA process for Pakistan telehealth initiative

Posted on by Mehdi Salehi & Tabinda Kazmi

After weeks of hard work, countless meetings, and a successful project delivery later, we’ve decided to pull back the curtains on exactly what it takes to assure the quality of a high-availability healthcare app.

Back in April 2020, when the first wave of the novel Coronavirus was at its peak, VentureDive reached out to the Government of Pakistan to help the country combat the virus through technology. As part of the ‘Digital Pakistan’ initiative, spearheaded by Tania Aidrus, an ex-Google executive, we collaborated with her team to build and launch the COVID-19 telehealth portal. It is a website specially designed to combat the crisis of the pandemic. It allows Pakistani doctors and all healthcare professionals to register on it and volunteer to remotely help the patients who might have COVID-19 symptoms.

“VentureDive team, I cannot thank you enough on behalf of the entire team for leaning in to help! There has been SO much interest in the platform and what’s interesting is how much interest we are seeing in other verticals. For example, today we had a call with the Law Ministry who are very eager to do something similar to sign up volunteer lawyers to provide free guidance to victims of domestic abuse. I hope this is just the beginning of our working relationship – excited to have started off on doing something that I hope can help thousands of Pakistanis during this time.” — Chief Digital Officer, Digital Pakistan

Healthcare is a very sensitive subject and it was a technology to be used by millions of people across Pakistan. Therefore, it demanded the highest quality, with zero downtime, zero bugs, and intuitive user journeys.  In this blog, we’ve highlighted our experience of testing a portal that was to be used by healthcare professionals to reach out to patients via our technology.

What follows is a tale that tells the challenges we faced during the three-week-long project, and how we resolved them to successfully deliver a web and a mobile application.

The functional, security & scalability challenges of testing the telehealth portal

Before the project kicked off, the quality assurance team at VentureDive gathered the application requirements and shared them with the experts dedicated to working on this. A thorough documentation and sample mockups helped the QA team to begin working on the test plan, test design, and test cases during the development phase. We conducted daily stand-ups so the development & testing teams could stay synced and brainstorm on maneuvering through this project smoothly and in time.  We faced six major challenges during our course:

Time management

The main challenge was racing against time to meet the client’s expectations while ensuring the security of the sensitive healthcare data, and zero glitches within the app. This meant that the QA team had to keep track of every requirement and reporting templates for testing updates that helped the development team fix defects and bugs timely, prior to delivering any milestone to the client.

tools used by QA team
Tools used by the QA team to effectively deliver each milestone

3rd party integrations

The application was to be integrated with third-party software such as WhatsApp chatbot for doctor-patient communication & telecom operators to enable anonymous calling mechanism and receiving SMS OTP. These were essential for fetching data from official sources and making sure both our applications remained in sync with the whole system we were creating.

Mobile responsiveness

The telehealth portal was supposed to be a hybrid mobile application, which meant that the testing team had to test it across various mobile devices and operating systems to make sure that it was responsive and compatible.

Security

Cyber attacks and threats are a real-world problem today with thousands of networks and websites being compromised each day. To help identify, classify, and address security risks, we performed vulnerability assessment and penetration testing activity including server VA, API penetration testing, and web application penetration testing to identify possible routes an attacker could use to break the system.

System performance

Monitoring the performance of the application was an integral part of building the portal, since we anticipated a large number of users, including doctors and patients. The QA team planned to automate the scripts on JMeter to determine how the system performs in terms of responsiveness and stability under heavy load and a huge volume of data.

Standards

A big challenge for the QA team was to keep the testing practices as standardized as possible even with a short time to spare. VentureDive believes in maintaining the quality of the deliverables as our utmost priority, regardless of the length, complexity, or intent of the project.

Adopting a smart testing strategy for successful project delivery

The process of Alpha testing was done remotely. The QA team collaborated and focused all their efforts towards detect any major defects in data security. We carried out usability, performance and security testing for private and sensitive information in a healthcare setup.

It was pertinent for the QA team to also analyze business criticality, plan around testing efforts in minimum time, make the application usable for thousands of users and ensure that testing was compliant with the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) standards.

The test strategy called for having separate environments for development, staging, and production. We performed the following steps in the given order:

Functional testing

Keeping in mind the criticality & nature of health-related projects, requirements had to be precise and the validation had to be perfect. We performed static analysis on requirements followed by actual test execution to meet the requirements and clients’ expectations. Data flow integrity and business rules were repeatedly tested via automated suites in our regression cycles

Tools:

  • Postman for API automation & integration testing
  • TestRail for test cases and test cycle reporting
  • PostgreSQL for data validations

Cross browser testing

Browser compatibility was mainly focused on Google Chrome version 80+ on windows. Extended smoke and regression cycle was performed on Firefox and Safari for Windows and Mac respectively.

Tools:

  • crossbrowsertesting.com
  • Browserstack.com

cross browser testing configuration
Cross-browser testing configuration

Responsiveness

Understanding the market trends of portable devices, we analyzed the data of the target audience and performed UI/UX testing on mobile & other portable devices. The application was tested on 6 different Android and iOS devices with different screen sizes and resolutions having different OS versions.

tools and devices
Tools and devices used to check responsiveness

Security testing

Thorough security testing was performed on infrastructure, API, and application level, keeping the top 10 OWASP standards in mind. 

Tools:

  • Burpsuite
  • ZAP 
  • KALI Linux operating system

The QA team identified the following vulnerabilities during the security testing activity:

  • Broken access control
  • Broken session management
  • Disclosure of internal directories
  • Unrestricted file upload
  • Missing server validation
  • Sensitive data exposure
  • Brute Force 
  • No rate limit
  • WAF & ACL implementation

Our goal was to immediately address these issues and recommend further best practices that should be followed as pre-emptive measures against any potential cyber-attacks.

Performance testing

The system undergoing the test was required to have a load-balanced infrastructure supporting thousands of interactions between the patients and the doctors. The flow includes the signup process including uploading of images, populating, and fetching patient data lists and assignments of users one to one. 

Tools:

  • Jmeter
  • Blazemeter
configuration for performance testing
Configurations for performance testing

We analysed all the results, and generated an extensive report using SmartMeter, which was later shared with the stakeholders. The primary issues identified were load balancing, CPU utilisation, and WAF configurations. These were addressed and recommended configurations were made for resolution.

Project delivery

A standard process was put in place to validate the requirements and meet the client’s expectations. After complete and thorough testing, we demonstrated and delivered the project to the client successfully.

Wrap up

Working on the telehealth portal as part of the ‘Digital Pakistan’ initiative was a short, knowledge-packed, and completely amazing journey that helped us learn and implement advanced quality assurance methodologies for a secure application. We adopted agile software quality practices to align software quality with product requirements and accelerate the software lifecycle. In addition, the continuous feedback we received from the project managers helped minimize retesting for verification and validation. Our iterative approach and short sprints enabled us to deliver quality products within a set deadline, successfully.

Thanks, team for all the amazing support. As I mentioned on slack, thanks to your hard work, we have 3000 doctors signed up and 1000 who submitted their documents. I had an amazing experience working with you all and truly admire your work ethic and efficiency. We couldn’t have done it without you. We will keep you updated on the stats and the launch event! — Project Coordinator, Digital Pakistan

Here’s where having a process-driven, and designed around ‘best-in-class’ software technologies delivery model helped us greatly.  It enabled robust scalability while maintaining cost-efficiency within strict quality control measures.

Thanks for stepping up to swiftly contribute towards our nation in these challenging times. It’s been a privilege to watch such a well-oiled team in action. — CEO, Digital Pakistan

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