The Toothcop’s Security Measures to Protect Your Practice
Release Date: 11/05/2019
Maximizing Dental Practice Success
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Introduction: Join Duane Tinker as he welcomes Leah Roling, an acclaimed life coach and celebrated author of "Shift" and "Nobody's Coming to Save You." Specializing in dental professionals' growth and success, Leah shares transformative insights aimed at enhancing both personal and professional realms. Embracing the Platinum Rule with Leah Roling: Discover the transition from the Golden Rule to the Platinum Rule with Leah Roling. Understand the pivotal shift towards treating individuals based on their personal preferences and needs, a cornerstone for effective communication and...
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Without question, the Covid pandemic had a large impact on the healthcare field. It highlighted monstrous changes that needed to occur in the infection control space. MCS put its resources into investigating standards of care in infection control. MCS came out with some new technologies that will transform the world of infection control. Paul Saueressig outlines the solutions they’ve created and how they can benefit your dental practice in this episode of Talking with the Toothcop. Do NOT miss this one! Outline of This Episode [2:12] Learn more about MCS Infection Control Solutions...
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Have you heard of the federally implemented “No Surprises Act?” Were you aware that it applies to dentists? The No Surprises Act protects uninsured and self-pay patients from receiving surprise medical bills. So what does that mean for your practice? Find out in this episode of Talking with the Toothcop! How the “No Surprises Act” applies to dentists As of 1/1/2022, you need to provide patients an estimate of anticipated charges for dental services, i.e. “Good Faith Estimates” or GFEs. They must be provided upon request or upon scheduling an appointment—well in...
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Everyone needs a compliance program tailored to the needs of their practice. Justin Withrow jumps in when a compliance program is absent and things go horribly wrong. Perhaps a client was employing an individual that's excluded from participation in the Federal Healthcare Program that should have been caught. There is a multitude of things that could happen that could have been prevented by a compliance program. In this episode of Talking with the Toothcop, we dissect the importance of exclusion monitoring, the basics of the false claims act, self-disclosure protocol, and much more. The...
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When you’re in the midst of a busy day in your dental office, the details are the things that you typically let slide, right? But in the dental business, it’s the details that keep you on track and it’s the details that protect your office from huge fines and your Doctor from losing her licenses. This episode highlights some of the things I’ve seen recently that I think all dental office workers need to have top-of-mind. If you don’t take these things seriously, you’re going to have issues eventually. Online training or in-person training? Which do you need? Every dental office is...
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Instrument Processing Part I: The Proper Cleaning Process
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I work with dental offices and do a lot of dental inspections/consults. I help people identify what they need to do differently. We talk through OSHA, HIPAA, infection control, radiology, medications, state board compliance, etc. But I get really excited about infection control and sterilization. That’s my stage—my moment to shine. In this episode of Talking with the Toothcop, we’re going to talk about instrument processing and cleaning procedures. Find out what you could be doing wrong and what to do instead! Outline of This Episode [0:49] Time to redo the 75 Hard Challenge!...
info_outlineWhat are some of the security measures you need to have in place to protect your practice? In today’s day and age, security breaches can come from many different directions. In this episode of Talking with the Toothcop, Andrea and I will lay out some ways you can protect your business. From security breaches to controlled substance regulations—we’ve got you covered.
Outline of This Episode
- [0:20] Cyber Ransom Attacks
- [4:55] What does a breach mean for you?
- [8:30] Prepare for potential breaches.
- [13:20] HIPAA security and privacy officer
- [14:40] Bootcamp will cover liability and compliance
- [17:50] How to prepare for and handle “Never Events”
- [23:10] Controlled substance rules and regulations
- [27:15] Change in DEA regulations
- [28:10] Controlled substance storage
- [30:30] Stop over-prescribing antibiotics
Cyber attacks are the real deal
It’s a new era, and cyberattacks are becoming more prevalent. A hacker will infect your system with an encryption virus, and to regain access you have to pay a ransom. This isn’t just a thing happening on TV shows anymore. It’s something that has to be investigated by the FBI, reported to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), and potentially even media outlets.
Is there anything you can do to prepare? What do you are attacked?
- Invest in a great IT company that will answer any questions you may have.
- Obtain adequate cyber-insurance coverage.
- Have legal counsel in place that you can call if it’s ever necessary.
- Prepare as well as you can—make sure you have more than adequate website security.
Don’t let your practice be compromised and watch your reputation take a nose-dive. Do everything you possibly can to protect your practice and your clients. We give you a few options in this episode!
HIPAA breaches and how to prevent them
If you do indeed experience a breach of protected health information, you must have systems in place to handle the situation. You need a designated privacy officer and security officer. If you’ve done your due diligence and have systems in place, it can be taken into consideration if there is an investigation. A forensic investigation is recommended (especially in the case of a cyber-attack) to determine the scope of the breach and what information was affected.
Assess where your vulnerabilities may be and take preventative action. Was there a change in technology? Where are your gaps? Don’t simply rely on your IT company telling you that you’re safe—ask questions so that you understand and know you’ve done everything possible.
How to prevent “Never Events”
“Never Events”, usually referred to as “Sentinel Events” are unanticipated extraordinary events that incur serious injury, illness, or the death of a patient. Unfortunately, events like these can and do happen (we talk about prevention and preparedness in depth in this episode).
Even if you do everything right and are a great clinician, the litigation and stress involved in the process can be debilitating. You can’t turn back time—but you can be proactive. Have checklists in place to make sure life-saving medical devices are checked regularly. Practice life-saving procedures with your staff. Be prepared for the unexpected.
Controlled substance rules, regulations, and safety measures
A state board rule was enacted in Texas eff. September 1st requiring providers to check a patient's substance history before prescribing controlled substances. There are also whispers that a law will be enacted in 2020 that will only allow prescriptions for controlled substances to be done electronically. Do your research now to find a compatible software to have in place by the time this is state law!
It’s an added safety measure that will protect you from some liability as well as protect your patient’s life. In the meantime, if you prescribe or utilize controlled substances they must be securely locked up (behind TWO locks and TWO keys). You must have a log to track dispensing that is stored safely with the drugs.
Andrea and I talk in detail about security measures, HIPAA breaches, drug regulations and much more so be sure to listen to the whole episode for details!
Resources & People Mentioned
Connect With Duane
- https://www.dentalcompliance.com/
- toothcop(at)dentalcompliance.com
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- On Youtube