Why Every Healthcare Practitioner Needs a Risk Analysis

A risk analysis is a major component of ensuring safety in the healthcare industry. If you are not already completing a regular risk assessment, it is something to make a priority.

Risk is everywhere in business. In the healthcare industry, there are many ways to protect against risk but there is no guarantee that you are not exposing your practice. There are many ways you can protect your business and a risk analysis is one of them. It is a way to evaluate potential risks before they have the opportunity to cause harm to your business.

Why Healthcare Practitioners Need a Risk Analysis

Security and maintaining confidential records are a huge component of the healthcare industry. There are many rules and regulations put into place, such as HIPAA compliance, that must be followed. Failure to do so can result in the shut-down of your office, among other things. There are risks everywhere, which is why there is such a focus on compliance with sensitive data. Following the rules that are already put into place by laws and regulations is not always enough. You should also make sure to take the time to perform your own risk assessment in case there are issues you may not be aware of. If you do not, there are plenty of opportunities for you to become a victim of your own risks.

The Risk Analysis Process

Conducting a risk analysis is not very difficult but it can take some time. You should try to be as thorough as possible when it comes to your risk analysis because you do not want to miss any potential risks. A typical risk analysis process includes, but is not limited to, the following steps:

• Identifying the potential of risks and how they can impact your organization. You want to determine what is possible and what you may face if that risk becomes reality.
• Implementing security measure to address those risks. Once you have identified potential risks, you want to put into place ways that you can prevent them. At the core of this, you should put in various safety measures. It is important to create multiple levels, or layers, of security in case one of them fails.
• Documenting security measures. Once you have identified the safety measures you want to focus on, you should document them and provide the rationale for choosing them. This is important for when you are re-evaluating your risk analysis at a later date. it can explain why you did something, not just want you did.
• Maintaining security protections. You should not just put these security measures into place. You should also ensure that they continue to run and are appropriate for your needs.

The Importance of Continuing Risk Assessments

Just because you have completed the risk assessment one time does not mean that your job is done. New risks can arise at any time and some may even evolve. What you set up as a way to deal with a potential risk today may not be enough later. Instead of only completing the assessment one time, you should complete continuous risk assessments. Doing it this way can help you stay on top of any potential risks. If you only do it one time, you will still be opening yourself up for more risk at a later date. Focus on the importance of security and identifying risks and you should stay ahead of the attackers in many cases.

For more information about risk assessment in New Jersey, be sure to contact eSOZO Computer and Network Services via info@esozo.com or (888) 376-9648. They can help you create a plan and set up security measures for your risks.

Author: Aaron White, Date: 16th December 2016