Becker's Hospital Review

55 CIO / HEALTH IT 10 cybersecurity tips for clinicians working from home during the pandemic By Jackie Drees T he American Medical Association and Ameri- can Hospital Association have craed guidelines for healthcare employees to follow to ensure cybersecurity when working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are 10 listed by tech device: Personal computer: 1. Be wary of common email phishing and ransomware threats, which have spiked as hackers have increasingly tried to access medical data. 2. Use a virtual private network and/or cloud-based ser- vices to securely connect to office computer programs, including the practice management system and EHR. 3. Implement multifactor authentication for all personal and business accounts, and enable lockout features for multiple incorrect login attempts. Phone or tablet: 4. Ensure iPhones, iPads and Android devices are using the most up-to-date version of operating system soware because the updates oen address security vulnerabilities. 5. Protect your home's wireless network with a strong password, such as one using a combination of numbers, upper and lowercase letters and symbols. 6. Enable encryption on devices and apps, if possible. is feature can oen be found in the device or app's settings. 7. Check with the practice's EHR vendor to ensure you download the correct EHR and telemedicine apps for your environment. Medical device: 8. Develop a formal coordination and communication process between clinical, biomedical engineering and information security teams for acquisition, maintenance and proper use of medical devices and biomedical tech. 9. Prioritize the installation of updates and cyber vulner- ability patches of network-connected and network-ca- pable ventilators and other critical life support devices, and designate someone to be responsible for maintaining patches. 10. Remove unnecessary patient information stored on medical devices. Many devices can store large quantities of data that may not be purged aer the data is trans- ferred to the EHR. Cybercriminals recognize these de- vices as an easier target to steal patient information from than the EHR. n CMS releases COVID-19 telehealth toolkit for state Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance programs By Jackie Drees T he Trump administration April 23 released a toolkit that offers resources and guidance to help states expand tele- health coverage policies for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program during the COVID-19 pandemic. In March, CMS expanded telehealth coverage for Medicare bene- ficiaries, allowing 85 additional services to be covered when deliv- ered via telehealth during the public health emergency. With the toolkit, CMS aims to help states identify policies that may interfere with rapid deployment of telehealth services. The toolkit provides the following issues for states to consider when expanding telehealth capabilities and coverage policies: 1. Populations eligible for telehealth. Federal regulations allow Medicaid services to be provided via telehealth across all popula- tions. The toolkit will help states pinpoint telehealth eligibility re- strictions, such as only allowing coverage for beneficiaries living in rural areas. 2. Coverage and reimbursement. States should examine tele- health use for services that have not traditionally been covered when delivered via telehealth. Some states may have only allowed behavioral health services delivered via telehealth, and not all states have provided equal reimbursement for face-to-face visits. 3. Providers eligible to deliver telehealth. Using the toolkit, states will be able to evaluate whether regulations are limiting the ability of certain clinicians to deliver care through telehealth. 4. Technology. States must define regulations for what telehealth technology is covered, such as two-way audio/visual communica- tion, audio only or remote patient monitoring. 5. Pediatric patients. States must consider consent and privacy laws when developing telehealth coverage policies for children in the Medicaid and CHIP pediatric populations. n The toolkit will help states pinpoint telehealth eligibility restrictions, such as only allowing coverage for benefi- ciaries living in rural areas.

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