The PoPI Act requires that you protect your patients’ personal data from security breaches, theft and discrimination, as well as unlawful processes. As a healthcare professional, you are responsible for monitoring and self-reporting your own flow of personal information.
Tips on how to become PoPI compliant
- Have strict data protection policies and regulations in place. Write up data security policies that detail how your patients’ information should be stored, processed and secured. Include the procedures you would take if a data breach was to occur. Make sure your staff know the protocol regarding data and understand the implications of a data leak.
- Secure your access points. Change your passwords frequently and monitor staff logins to help protect data. Remember, data leakage includes the accidental or intentional exposure of information by your staff. Train your staff to be vigilant and make them aware of potential cyberattacks.
- Invest in the right technology. The first step is to use the appropriate data and document processing applications. Ensure your data is backed up regularly using cloud-based medical software.
- Engage with a trusted practice management partner. This person will advise how to protect and manage your data through stringent compliance processes.
It is essential to know whether your systems are PoPI compliant. Medical practices that do not abide by PoPI regulations could incur financial penalties, revenue losses and, in some instances, imprisonment.
Our systems take POPI compliance into account and provide measures to protect data. If you are not sure whether your systems meet the required standards for PoPI compliance, please contact us for an assessment.