Guide: Evaluate the security and performance of your home-based care software 

Home-based care organizations rely on software that both performs well and has the high capacity and security they need to keep their business running smoothly and protect their data. 

In the last ten years, data breaches in healthcare have increased by 83%. Cyber-attacks and data breaches could seriously affect your business, so taking the appropriate precautions to protect all the data coming through your home care agency is essential.

Additionally, software downtime costs organizations an average of $5,600 per minute and, for large organizations in high-risk industries like healthcare, up to $5 million per hour. That’s why it’s important to have software that handles your organization’s capacity with a robust performance standard so your organization can continue to grow while reliably delivering client care and reaching future business goals.   

As you evaluate your current or future home-based care software to determine if it has the performance standards and security your organization needs, here are 4 major areas to focus on and questions to ask:   

1. Compliance

Does using and disclosing protected health information (PHI) meet regulatory requirements? 

Compliance with regional and federal regulatory guidelines within your home-based care organization is a crucial consideration when evaluating the security of your data. Regulations like HIPAA for the US and PIPEDA in Canada ensure that health care and home-based care organizations have the proper safeguards so that sensitive information doesn’t get leaked or shared with the wrong entities.

When looking at your existing software solution or for a new one, you should consider the following questions related to the software’s level of regulatory compliance:   

Learn how AlayaCare ensures compliance and exceeds regulatory requirements.

2. Uptime and continuity

Can you access the data and tools you need anytime and anywhere without interruption?

High resiliency and uptime in your software can save your organization from losing revenue and productivity. Downtime and interruptions affect your organization’s operations. Including the care clients receive if your staff can’t use the tools they need to provide care.   

Consider the following questions regarding uptime and continuity when looking at your existing software solution or for a new platform:

Learn how AlayaCare delivers a scalable and resilient solution.

3. Data protection

Is your data well safeguarded by a comprehensive controls framework and industry best practices?  

It can’t be stressed more how important it is to safeguard your valuable data. As stated in the HIPAA Journal, an average of 373,788 healthcare records were breached daily in 2023. With the increasing number of data breaches and cyber threats in healthcare and, by extension, home-based care, it’s crucial to clearly understand the measures in place to protect your data and assess them regularly for their effectiveness. That’s why it’s critical to find a software partner that you can trust to keep your data safe. That way, you can have peace of mind knowing that your information is in good hands.

When evaluating existing software or searching for a new platform, consider the following questions related to the software’s data protection:

Learn more about AlayaCare’s best practices for data protection to deliver a secure and safeguarded solution. 

4. Privacy

Does your organization have control of your client data and privacy needs on their platform?

Safeguarding your clients’ data and enhancing their privacy is absolutely vital. It protects their private information, such as medical histories and financial data, and upholds their fundamental right to privacy. By prioritizing data protection, you demonstrate your commitment to your client’s security and build trust in your business.

For example, the Canadian PHIPA Act grants individuals the right to request a consent directive, also known as a lockbox. This request allows them to withdraw or withhold consent for collecting, using, and disclosing their personal health information for care purposes.

While this is not mandatory for some regions, it’s important to ask whether this software can help you protect your client’s privacy. The software system should allow the organization to control how the data is used and disclosed according to their client’s privacy needs.

When looking at your existing software solution or for a new one, you should consider the following questions related to the software’s data privacy directives:

We recommend looking for software that has a platform built with tools to meet growing governance and privacy needs as well as keeping up with current privacy regulations (US privacy laws and Canadian privacy laws) 

Learn more about AlayaCare’s enhanced privacy solution.

Consider a secure home-based care platform designed for growth 

AlayaCare provides top-notch security and performance standards, allowing you to grow your business and provide quality client care confidently.   

• Security and privacy standards for care agencies worldwide  
• Uptime and continuity you can rely on  
• Prioritizing protection for your data  
• Enhancing privacy with consent directives  

Data security and privacy are core values at AlayaCare. We build them into our organization, processes, and the home care software platform we deliver.   

Learn how AlayaCare can help scale your agency with a solution built to meet your security and platform needs.  

Check out more details on AlayaCare’s transparent approach to security and privacy documented in our Trust Center.  

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