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Netsmart Confidentiality Practices Review

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Overview

Follow these guidelines for maintaining the confidentiality of client information when you are working with Netsmart.

Details

Netsmart is committed to handling confidential client information in a secure and private environment. HIPAA regulations were created to help maintain the confidentiality of client information. Follow these guidelines when working with Netsmart to help us maintain client confidentiality for the clients served by your agency.

  • Portal / Emails - When sending an email to the NetsmartCares portal or to anyone at Netsmart, you need to provide only the data that will be required to troubleshoot your issue. Most of the time, a ClientKey will be all that is necessary and we never need to be given names, addresses, or Social Security numbers. If there is a billing issue, then a ChargeKey may also be required. Netsmart may occasionally need to know other pieces of information, but we will let you know if we do.
  • Screen Shots - When sending screen shots to Netsmart to show examples of any issues, please ensure that any personal client data is blocked out. If you just put a box over the data in Microsoft Word, the box can easily be removed, making this an unsecure method. One way to hide data is to paste the screen shot into a program such as Microsoft Paint and then erase or block out all personal client data (specifically, names, dates of birth, addresses, and phone numbers) and leave only the ClientKey, AdmissionKey, ChargeKey, and so on. Also, many of the forms will load the client’s name into the Title bar, so remember to hide any confidential information that appears in the Title bar of the form. Then just send the edited screen shot. Another option would be to place the document on Netsmart's secure FTP site and no editing would be necessary.
  • Reports - When sending copies of reports that have issues and include confidential information, the best practice is to modify the copy in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat and hide the confidential data, then save it as a PDF file before sending it to Netsmart. If that is not practical, print the report, obscure the personal data with a marker, and fax the necessary pages to us. If making these changes seems difficult, you can place the report on Netsmart's secure FTP site.
  • Remote Connections - For many clients, Netsmart can connect to their system by using Citrix GoToMeeting or other direct connect applications. A meeting can be scheduled to review the problem with NetsmartCares Client Support and prevent the need for sending confidential data. Another option is for Netsmart to connect directly to your system using a secure VPN or Remote connection, which is the preferred method.
  • Databases - On rare occasions, Netsmart may need to have a copy of a database uploaded to our secure FTP site. If possible, first scrub or cleanse the data (for example, remove names, dates of birth, and so on) before sending a database. Be assured that Netsmart will treat that database with full confidentiality on our servers. Please arrange with the NetsmartCares Client Support representative to make sure the database is removed from the FTP site once it has been saved to the required folder on our server or your server if we are returning a database to you.

If you have questions or would like more information on any of the steps listed above that can be used to secure data shared with us, please contact NetsmartCares Client Support.