How Identity Verification in Healthcare is Transforming

Every industry has adapted to digital means of offering its services. And the healthcare industry is not an exception. Healthcare organizations continue to improve their digital services and cyber risk management practices. But, along with this, come new security threats to healthcare facilities.

These days, healthcare data is the number one target of cybercriminals. Stealing medical records accounts for 95% of identity theft this year. And this is 25 times more expensive than credit card fraud.

No one wants their identity and data stolen. That’s why healthcare providers have to be on top of their game to earn the trust of their patients. In this article, you’ll find out how identity verification transforms the healthcare industry.

What is Digital Identity Verification? 

Digital identity verification can speed up the ID verification process. This makes it useful in other sectors, such as the healthcare industry. With this, anyone can verify their identities even if they are not physically present.

Verifying someone’s identity means you’re making sure they are who they claim to be. And identity verification companies achieve this validation using different methods. Their businesses’ software examines distinct data sets in each identity file. It then double-checks the data using other variables.

Many identity verification companies have their own specialized verification solutions. These resources improve identity verification procedures even more. Some of the more common techniques for identity verification include:

  • ID document verification makes sure that the ID you presented is real. You can present any valid ID and the technology can scan their validity.
  • Biometric verification requires you to use body parts, mostly your fingerprints, for verification. It helps the healthcare sector to confirm that you are the same person as the one on the document.
  • Liveness detection works the same way as biometric verification, but only for faces. It determines whether the selfie you took is real and not photoshopped.
  • One-time passcode (OTP) verification sends you an email or SMS with a one-time passcode. You can, then, use this passcode to verify your identity.
  • Database techniques use information from offline databases, social media, and other sources. Healthcare facilities can confirm any data you gave them using this method.

Major Problems in the Healthcare Industry

You’d think that hospitals don’t need strong cybersecurity measures. But even they have digital problems that they need to address. Here are some that the healthcare industry experiences when it comes to digitization. 

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is a top concern for most healthcare providers and facilities. Since they’re using modern devices to store patient data, they became a target for data breaches. 

Not only that but they also experience ransomware and DDoS attacks. More often than not, cybercriminals use these two to flood networks and websites. This disrupts the performance and availability of the website. When this happens, you won’t have access to their websites, especially in times of need. 

Adopting Advanced Health Technology

Another key issue about healthcare digitization nowadays is the use of new technology. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are the driving forces behind software programs. 

Medical professionals should be able to connect to a secure environment to use modern healthcare technologies. With an identity verification system, they can protect patients’ medical records. 

How Can Identity Verification Help the Healthcare Industry?

The last section proves that the healthcare sector also experiences a lot of difficulties in its processes. But they can offer better and more secure services with identification and verification. They can do this with reliable identity databases and verification systems. More specifically, an identity verification system helps the healthcare sector by:

1. Providing Effective Information Gathering for Planning and Research

Systems that automate processes are now available, even in the healthcare sector. Accessing patient information has never been easier with identity verification companies.

It’s also easier to share patient data without worrying about data breaches. Healthcare professionals can now collaborate with other professionals for planning and research. And only those with valid access have permission to view and use the data.

2. Enhancing Insurance Management System

Hospitals need to submit insurance claims for their patients, but this can be a difficult process. With automated patient verification systems, they can process their insurance claims easily. It also helps them identify how an insurance plan will benefit you.

If they have outdated systems, there will be a problem with how you can pay. For instance, your payment will not reflect in their systems immediately. This will affect their payment processes and lowers their performance. Updating their identity verification system will help them improve their insurance management systems.

3. Keeping Patient Records Safe

Data breaches in the healthcare industry are a serious risk. Over 50 million Americans had their health information compromised in 2021 alone. By using online identity verification, they can reduce the risk of fraud and identity theft. They can now encrypt patient records to prevent hackers from stealing the data.

They can also secure the system by combining biometrics with multi-factor authentication. Authentication methods like facial recognition help confirm patients’ real identities.

4. Maintaining Better Compliance With Patient Identity Verification

Laws like HITECH and HIPAA are there for a reason. They help the healthcare industry set a standard for delivering the right services. As a result, these institutions can assure you that they have the right measures to take care of your data.

For example, HIPAA requires healthcare facilities to confirm patients’ identities first. This way, they can avoid permitting hackers to access your medical and personal records. And if they disregard these restrictions, they will have to face severe penalties. This is why a HIPAA medical record storage service is important too, they’ll be able to properly store this sensitive information and manage it accordingly. 

To make the process easier, healthcare providers can work with identity verification companies. They can provide solutions to maintain the institution’s compliance with these laws.

5. Providing Remote Patient Registration

As you know, the world has experienced serious threats to everyone’s health. And the healthcare industry didn’t pass up the chance to improve its health portals. Now, you can complete your intake records in the comfort of your home. This will help you avoid getting infected or spreading the virus.

You can even enjoy touchless check-ins at the point-of-care areas. It’s possible to pre-register using biometric identity verification at your home. After doing so, you can easily verify your identity once you visit the clinic or hospital.

Identity verification makes patient verification processes easier. It gives you safer access to patient portals and healthcare services.

  1. Improving the Security of Telemedicine Appointments

Telemedicine has also become an important part of the healthcare industry. Getting one means you’ll be in contact with your healthcare provider using video conferencing and communication methods. 

And you won’t have to worry about data breaches since they use HIPAA Compliant forms and other secure methods. That means they have all the measures to protect data privacy, security, and integrity. To reduce hazards, they use secure platforms for telemedicine appointments.

Today, you can access online healthcare portals with built-in security safeguards. That is, they have added security measures that confirm your identity during appointments. These authentication techniques assure clinicians that they are treating legitimate patients.

So for your next appointment, you won’t need to use online platforms with weak security measures. 

Final Thoughts 

Cybersecurity measures are not limited to other industries anymore. The healthcare industry should also protect its patients’ data from fraudulent activity. And there’s so much at stake in the integrity of patient information.

This means healthcare companies need to focus on identity verification and authentication services. If not, they’re giving hackers an open invitation to start stealing patient data.

In the end, there’s a lot of personal information to gather with just a few keystrokes. The solutions that are currently available can help mitigate these risks. Healthcare organizations should work with an identity verification company to provide better services to their patients.