Lack of accurate patient identification in the healthcare unit often results in medical errors, which can be detrimental to the healthcare professional’s reputation. There is a need to discover a solution that protects and empowers healthcare professionals.
Healthcare verification is the only way to eliminate these errors and protect the healthcare provider from uncertainties. It would help if all healthcare centers could adopt technology to help with these processes and capture the correct biometric data.
A reasonable healthcare verification should involve a one-to-one verification and one-to-few identification. 1:1 verification uses a biometric scan followed by physical identity proof to authenticate an individual’s identity claims. 1: Few segmented identifications use a biometric scan and verbal question to prove identity.
The following are some ways healthcare verification can empower and protect health professionals.
1. Preventing Medical Identity Theft
Security experts say identity theft is one of the biggest threats in the healthcare industry. The cases worsen, especially during outbreaks like the Covid19 pandemic, as attackers strive to take advantage of the situation.
Healthcare experts can curb this crime by implementing proper healthcare identity verification systems. Hackers try to access patients’ personally identifiable information and use it to commit various crimes. The fraudsters can use this information to obtain services, treatment, or goods from medical facilities illegally. Medical identity theft affects both patients and healthcare practitioners.
Medical identity theft can result in claim denials and negatively impact the healthcare system as a whole. To avoid these cases, healthcare professionals can adopt or improve healthcare verification before rendering services to their clients.
2. Minimize Discrepancies in Medical Records
Information discrepancies are a significant concern for many healthcare providers. It is possible to put the wrong information on someone’s medical records, which can sometimes have life-threatening consequences. Research has it that inaccurate information is the root of delayed medical procedures, inappropriate treatments, and the creation of overlays and duplicate records. Many times these cases result in extensive complications or loss of life. Changing medical records can be challenging as they are supposed to provide an individual’s permanent and comprehensive healthcare history.
Proper healthcare verification for patients can significantly empower health professionals to offer quality services following accurate historical records. It also helps improve data integrity and protects healthcare providers from fraudulent claims that could result in financial losses.
3. It Helps to Protect Reputation
Generally, healthcare background checks help safeguard a healthcare professional’s reputation. It can also help protect your brand or healthcare facility. For instance, you can identify and avoid employees with identity or credit card theft. Hiring such employees can affect your reputation as they can quickly disclose patients’ private or sensitive information. It can also help you avoid employees with substance abuse backgrounds.
In addition, your patient’s medical data falling into the wrong hands can ruin your reputation as a healthcare professional. Verifying your patients’ identities allows you to ensure that all the information is accurate and up to date. Any healthcare professional feels confident knowing hackers or fraudsters cannot access their patient’s data. Therefore, healthcare professionals must standardize and streamline their patients’ information and have a verification system that includes identity safeguards.
4. Helps in Compliance
Every healthcare practitioner must comply with state, federal, and industry-based regulations such as HITECH and HIPAA concerning patient identity. Failure to obey these Acts can lead to heavy fines or, in worst cases, facing criminal charges. The HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act were established in 1996 in the United States.
Federal law gives security guidelines and data privacy to safeguard a patient’s medical information. It allows a smooth transition of digital records and requires the proper controls over the use and disclosure of any medical records.
A medical professional or organization that handles protected health information (PHI) must comply with HIPAA rules and regulations. The law includes various standard verification requirements concerning the disclosure of protected health information. To ensure total compliance with these regulations, you may need to adopt healthcare verification technology.
5. Avoid Malpractice Suits
A malpractice lawsuit can cost you as a healthcare provider a lot of time and money and, at worst, the termination of your career. Such cases can arise from different circumstances. Below are some possible causes of medical malpractice lawsuits against healthcare practitioners.
Treating the Wrong Illness
Lack of patient verification can easily lead to doctors treating the wrong illness when the diagnosis does not match the patient. In such a case, the victim can sue the practicing doctor for malpractice.
Medication Errors
According to research, medication errors result in at least one death every day and often result from healthcare identity theft and fraud. As the World Health Organization tries to reduce these cases, proper patient identity verification is an ideal solution. It helps ensure each patient receives the appropriate medication and dosage according to their biometric data.
Poor Records and Documentation
It results in many errors that can lead to adverse medical malpractices.
Historical Patient’s Conditions
A doctor must check a patient’s medical history before treating a current illness. Some have underlying conditions that may not be compatible with the treatment for the present sickness. Failing to handle these conditions may have a significant outcome that may lead to court charges.
Careful patient verification can help a healthcare professional avoid these mistakes and lawsuits. Similarly, having accurate medical records for your patients empowers you with legal defense in case these cases arise.
6. Fraud Among Medical Professionals
Internal fraud is a significant threat in the healthcare industry. Some dishonest or malicious healthcare providers can access and use their colleagues’ details to carry out illegal practices within the institution.
There are many cases of licensed healthcare professionals’ involvement in medical fraud, abuse of the scheme, and wastage of resources. Most of these are victims of internal fraud. In addition, if a wrong hand gains access to your electronic health records (EHRs), they can alter your patient’s data.
Changing information concerning diagnosis, prescription, or other instructions can significantly impact the treatment process. Compromising health accounts among healthcare professionals has far more dangers as it can advance to life-threatening situations for the patient. Also, if an individual is undergoing treatment for controlled substances, the intruder can obtain the drugs and use them for personal gains, like selling them illegally. The advanced verification system can help control internal fraud among healthcare practitioners.
7. Ensuring Quality Care for Clients
Every patient wants to feel safe and secure with their doctors. Many patients, especially members of vulnerable populations, can suffer abuse when under the care of the wrong healthcare providers. If you own a healthcare facility, you want to feel safe when referring patients to your facility.
You can only ascertain the legibility and qualification of new employees by doing thorough background checks before hiring them. Proper healthcare verification on your team gives you confidence in the quality of service you offer to your clients.
Bottom Line
Healthcare verification is essential for any healthcare-providing facility, whether private or public. It protects healthcare professionals from many uncertainties that otherwise compromise their ability to provide quality healthcare services to society.
When facing threats from external fraudsters, hackers, malicious colleagues, or malpractice lawsuits, accurate and up-to-date records will help a medical practitioner emerge victorious.
