Devices Help Healthcare Organizations Achieve HIPAA Compliance

SAN DIEGO, CA –RF IDeas, Inc., creators of single-badge solutions for physical and logical access control and security, has shipped its 30,000th RFID proximity device for use in the healthcare industry. The milestone is confirmation of RF IDeas’ leadership position in the emerging field of single sign-on authentication and access systems, as well as the growing adoption of this technology in healthcare organizations, where protection of patient information as mandated by HIPAA is crucial.

RF IDeas is demonstrating its cutting-edge solutions at booth #1851 at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society conference Feb. 12-16 in San Diego.

Proximity solutions from RF IDeas, including the pcProxr and AIR IDr brands of RFID contactless presence detectors, readers and writers, enable healthcare organizations to manage and control physical and network access, provide secure user authentication, authorize access to office equipment and improve workflow. Also, the programmable access solutions from RF IDeas work with an organization’s existing ID credentials, so they don’t have to go through the trouble and cost of obtaining and distributing new badges.

he pcProx and AIR ID solutions can be implemented with third-party software, or deployed such that no additional software installation or changes to existing applications are required. In the no software method, all access and authorization data is securely stored in a contactless smart card. The system administrator can set up two-factor authentication by requiring an optional PIN code for security. Eliminating software development results in significant cost savings and a much faster implementation.

“In the healthcare industry, the ability to balance the dual concerns of protecting patient information while at the same time providing immediate information access to authorized personnel has become a key factor in determining the quality of care a hospital can provide,” said RF IDeas President Rick Landuyt. “RF IDeas is proud of its record of success in this important field, providing institutions like the University of Colorado Hospital and the University of Texas’ M.D. Anderson Cancer Center with the necessary tools to help them manage and control access to medical information and systems.”

The credit card-sized pcProx packaging from RF IDeas is only about half an inch thick. A beeper and a green LED indicate when the reader is in use. Its flexible design, which includes an articulating cable and self-tapping mounting holes, installs cleanly on desktops, laptops, PDAs, kiosks, walls, time and attendance terminals or other configurations.

How RF IDeas Solutions Help Companies Achieve HIPAA Compliance The federal Healthcare Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 requires that all patient information, including electronic health records (EHRs), be kept secure and private. This mandate affects not only hospitals and doctors but health plans and HMOs as well.

The advanced access and security systems from RF IDeas help healthcare organizations comply with HIPAA in a number of ways:

–Securing network logon using either one- or two-factor authentication of personnel. –Controlling access to applications that require user identification –Role-based access ensuring users only view information for which they are authorized. –The ability to instantly lock down a workstation–which may contain protected patient information–when not in use. –Personnel identification at data capture stations.

The latest innovation from RF IDeas, the AIR ID Playback reader, represents the first contactless smart card solution that is immediately deployable without the need for developing software applications or updating existing back-end systems. It brings fast user switching to the healthcare domain, enabling doctors and nurses to resume work seamlessly on any workstation in the enterprise and securely lock down every desktop. It eliminates generic network logons, maximizes password complexity and encrypts all data.

About RF IDeas, Inc. Arlington Heights, IL-based RF IDeas designs, develops and manufactures proximity and contactless reader solutions that expand building access cards to hundreds of applications. RF IDeas pioneered the use of physical access control credentials for non-door applications such as employee identification, vending and PC access control. A complete line of readers for proximity, vicinity and contactless smart card technologies are available for a wide variety of platforms. For more information, please contact RF IDeas at (847) 870-1723 or visit the company’s Web site at www.RFIDeas.com.