Every single person that works in a hospital understands that patient information travels not only digitally, but also physically. And that it, of course, has to travel safely, and in accordance with the HIPAA standards that keep the data properly protected. I’m talking not only about medical documents, but also lab specimens, prescriptions, as well as all kinds of other medical products that have to be safely transported.
Of course, to achieve the safety, and the HIPPA compliance, during delivery, you will need to partner up with the right professionals that will provide you with those services. When you learn more about medical couriers in general, you will realize that working with the pros is your safest path towards staying in compliance. And you will also realize that finding and hiring the right experts is of utmost importance here.
Okay, I am sure you already understand the significance of HIPAA-compliant delivery. What you may not be sure about, though, is what to actually look for when you need it. And, that is precisely what we are going to be discussing below, giving you a better idea on the things you should do and factors you should keep in mind when trying to ensure safe and compliant delivery. So, without any further ado, let us get started.
Trained Professionals That Follow Regulatory Standards
It is easy for you to check whether the companies are actually certified to offer these particular services. And, that is undoubtedly something you should always check, and never take for granted. That, however, doesn’t exactly mean that you should stop there. In fact, you should get a bit more specific about it, and actually check the specific professionals out – that is, the drivers and anyone else that will be handling the medical products you want to deliver.
The bottom line is that you want those specific people to be properly trained for this. You want them to understand how to safely handle the documents, or the specimens, or anything else you are sending somewhere. And, of course, you want them to follow the HIPAA standards during the process, meaning that they should be knowledgeable on those. So, don’t forget to take your time to check this before moving forward.
Understand what HIPAA compliance means: https://www.hipaajournal.com/what-does-hipaa-compliance-mean/
Previous Experience With Medical Deliveries
Clearly, you also want the experts you choose to have previous experience with medical deliveries. And, most likely, this will be quite easy to check, because most great companies will talk about their experience on their official websites, or at least mention it in one sentence, allowing you, thus, to determine if they are experienced enough or not. So, visit those official sites before moving any further, because extensive experience is definitely going to help ensure HIPAA compliance, which is the main thing you are worried about here.
Great Reputation
Moving on, their reputation should also never be neglected. Quite on the contrary, you have to check it in details before deciding on any particular company that you want to partner up with and that you want to have your medical deliveries completed. Now, you may be wondering how to do that as well, so let me quickly make things clear.
Basically, what you can do is find and read some reviews written about particular delivery companies by their previous clients. Those reviews can help you check the general reputation, as well as find out some details about their HIPAA compliance specifically. And, there is no denying the fact that this is quite important. So, don’t forget to do this before making any partnership decisions.
Secure Chain of Custody Procedures
Another thing you should look for is, naturally, a secure chain of custody procedure. After all, maintaining a clear and a traceable chain of custody is of utmost importance when it comes to preventing unauthorized access or loss, and when it comes to, of course, remaining HIPAA compliant. So, every handoff should be precisely logged and verifiable, and then you should also use tamper-evident packaging to protect the integrity, as well as have audit-ready records for all the deliveries.
Good Delivery Times
Clearly, good delivery times also matter. After all, when it comes to healthcare, speed often equals safety. So, what you want to do is choose those couriers that offer same day, quick delivery services, and that will stay true to their word regarding delivery times, optimizing routes to minimize transit time as well as being available to you 24/7 for emergency transports.
Full Visibility
On top of all this, you definitely want to look for full visibility. Meaning what exactly? Meaning that you want to be able to track the package in real time, as well as receive and important notifications. And, of course, you also want to be able to contact the providers when you have any questions regarding the package you have sent, and the arrival times.
