What's wrong with traditional medical transcription ? Medical documentation, particularly transcription, today is subject to a variety of influences that impact the ability of hospitals, clinics, and medical practices to deliver and manage secure, accurate, and timely transcription. HIPAA compliance, the increasingly stringent requirements of insurance providers, fiscal constraints, and the lack of qualified transcriptionists are forcing more facilities to outsource their transcription services.
	What does CBay offer that improves upon this? CBay combines unrivaled transcription expertise, proven software, and a bulletproof audit trail to offer the most secure, reliable, and accurate transcription solution available. CBay solutions not only save time and money, but actually increase the efficiency, accuracy and HIPAA compliance of the transcription process.
	Where does my medical information go? Who sees it? CBay utilizes both US based and a global pool of over 2,500 highly trained transcriptionists to ensure accurate, timely, and secure transcription. Many of these transcriptionists are located in India, where medical transcription is a highly coveted, prestigious profession, requiring extensive training. A number of CBay customers handle their own transcription internally, yet rely on CBay technologies to traffic and manage data - which is yet another testament to the system's security.
	What about security? CBay's audit trail and security measures are designed for full HIPAA compliance and to provide the ultimate in confidentiality. Individual computers on the network are registered with the CBay system by MAC address - so that you know what information was viewed where and when - right down to the individual workstation. CBay's HIPAA-compliant audit trail allows for the tracking of every individual who listens, transcribes, edits, views, and signs - from initial recording through final archiving. With security safeguards including VPN, triple DES encryption, redundant system architecture, and exceptionally high ASP center security for hosted solutions, CBay has raised the bar for medical transcription security.
	If the transcription is outsourced overseas, what is the turnaround time? And how accurate is the transcription? CBay's transcriptionists are among the most qualified in the world. CBay's guaranteed 24-hour turnaround time, 7x24x365 service and 98 percent accuracy provide quality and speed that exceed standards established by the medical transcription industry.
	What is HIPAA? The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was enacted as a result of congressional healthcare reform. HIPAA's primary objectives include the portability of health insurance, the reduction of healthcare fraud and abuse, the enforcement of standards in health information management, and (most importantly for transcription service providers) the security and confidentiality of health information.
	How does HIPAA apply to medical transcription providers? Transcription service providers must implement technology and business processes to ensure the security and confidentiality of patient information, and establish an audit trail that documents those individuals who have accessed this information.
	What is the deadline for HIPAA compliance? Healthcare providers that use any form of electronic media to store or transmit patient data must be in compliance by April 14, 2003.
	What are the penalties for violation of privacy under HIPAA? Both civil and criminal penalties can be applied for non-compliance with HIPAA regulations.
	Under HIPAA, can the Internet be used for medical transcription? Yes, it can - provided that specific encryption and password safeguards are employed to prevent unauthorized access to the patient data.