As the health industry continues to become highly digitized, the need to comply with regulations from HIPAA is now more critical than ever. Since medical institutions handle hundreds of sensitive data, they must take precautionary steps to ensure privacy and security. As a health organization, how do you maintain Microsoft Teams HIPAA compliance?

Microsoft Teams is one of several organizations’ most favored communications platforms widely used. And while it is considered cooperative with HIPAA regulations, you still might need to undertake a few steps to ensure Microsoft Teams security and compliance. 

Restrict Data Sharing and Communications to MS Teams

When ensuring information safety, there must be only one channel where these data can travel. You’ll be handling dozens of patient information, health-related particulars, and other confidential information, and your responsibility is to protect them. 

To prevent the risk of a data leak, make sure that information flows only through MS Teams. Teams can also integrate with other Microsoft 365 programs for more efficient data relay and increased security. The more you direct information through Teams, the better the protection.

Also, you should restrict data access to authorized personnel only. You can grant permissions to specific users and remove them once they finish their tasks. Remind them to take care of their accounts and practice diligence.

Train your Employees

Implementing additional security features in MS Teams helps keep the platform secure, but if your staff are unaware of the measures they need to take when using it, there might as well be no use. Educating your employees is crucial if you want to prevent accidental security breaches from occurring.

Take the time to educate your employees about HIPAA compliance so they can act with extra precaution while utilizing Microsoft Teams. You should also inform them of your security implementations and remind them to practice diligence always. Promote accountability in the workplace, and provide them with the necessary resources and support.

Utilize Archiving Solutions

One of the most effective compliance tools is archiving software. These are often offered by third-party agencies specializing in messaging platform compliance, such as LeapXpert. Archiving solutions capture, collect, and safely store messages so you can use them later.

LeapXpert can help make your Microsoft Teams more secure. Visit their website to get in touch.