What “Compliance” Means for a Dermatology EHR
HIPAA and similar regulations (e.g., PHIPA/PIPEDA in Canada) expect administrative, physical, and technical safeguards. Your EHR should make these safeguards easier to implement and verify with audit trails.
- Administrative: policies, training, role definitions, BAAs, incident response.
- Physical: device controls, workstation security, secure storage for media/photos.
- Technical: access controls, encryption, activity logs, integrity checks, secure exchange.
10 Compliance Must-Haves in a Dermatology EHR
- Role-based access control (RBAC): least-privilege for MA, provider, biller, admin.
- Audit logs: complete, tamper-evident logs of view/edit/export with timestamps.
- Encryption: TLS in transit + modern encryption at rest for PHI, including photos.
- Session & device policies: auto-timeout, IP/device rules, MDM-friendly mobile access.
- Data retention & export controls: policy-aligned retention windows and secure exports.
- Secure patient photos: EXIF/meta scrubbing, consent tagging, and access history.
- eRx safety: permissions, two-factor for high-risk actions, formulary/interaction checks.
- Orders & results integrity: electronic lab/path orders with verified result matching.
- Interoperability controls: CCD/HL7/FHIR with endpoint allow-listing and audit.
- Backups & disaster recovery: tested restores, RTO/RPO targets, geo-redundancy.
Dermatology-Specific Risks & How an EHR Mitigates Them
- Clinical photos: ensure consent capture, watermarking options, and restricted sharing. Store in encrypted media with audit trails.
- Pathology flows: order/result matching prevents misfiled results and ensures follow-up documentation.
- Cosmetic vs. medical: templates that clearly document medical necessity reduce billing confusion and data exposure.
- Portal uploads: virus scan + size/type limits + identity checks for patient-submitted photos.
Compliance Checklist You Can Use Today
- Map roles & permissions: verify least-privilege for each staff type.
- Turn on logging & alerts: monitor unusual access and failed logins.
- Harden endpoints: auto-lock screens, patching, encrypted drives, MDM on mobiles.
- Standardize photos: consent workflow, storage policy, and sharing rules.
- Review BAAs & vendor risk: keep agreements current; document security questionnaires.
- Test backups & recovery: quarterly restore drills; document RTO/RPO results.
- Annual training: privacy & security training with sign-offs.
- Run a mini-audit: sample access logs, export history, and change tracking monthly.
FAQs: Dermatology EHR & Compliance
Is a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) required?
Yes—your EHR vendor and any integrated service that handles PHI should sign a BAA outlining safeguards and responsibilities.
Do clinical photos count as PHI?
Yes. Treat images as PHI: use consent, secure storage, access controls, and audit logs.
How often should we review audit logs?
At least monthly—plus event-driven reviews after role changes, suspected incidents, or unusual access alerts.
Stay HIPAA-Safe with Your Dermatology EHR
With the right safeguards, dermatology clinics can stay compliant without slowing down care. We’re happy to walk your team through security features and best practices.