Updated on: October 10, 2024
Welcome to a new interview by SafetyDetectives, where we dive deep into the world of cybersecurity, privacy, and technology with leaders in the tech industry.
Today, I talk to Jamie Frew, the co-founder and CEO of Carepatron. Jamie has revolutionized healthcare administration by simplifying tasks for professionals, ultimately enhancing patient care. Carepatron is now used by over 10,000 clients in more than 50 countries. Before establishing Carepatron, he held various leadership roles at Telstra, ANZ, and more.
He discussed a critical issue for health practices—GDPR compliance—and how healthcare organizations can safeguard patient data while navigating complex regulations.
As a CEO who’s grown Carepatron from the ground up, have you faced any surprising challenges with compliance when scaling your company across multiple countries?
When we scaled Carepatron across multiple countries, we knew we had to face the complexity and variability of compliance regulations in different regions. Each country has its own unique set of healthcare data privacy laws, such as HIPAA in the U.S. or GDPR in the EU, and despite the overlap in some of the principles presented in these frameworks, there are still nuances at the regional level we have to be very careful about. What’s particularly challenging is how rapidly these regulations evolve, requiring a more dynamic approach in order to keep up to the standard.
Ensuring that our healthcare practice management software is compliant while still providing seamless functionality for our users across borders is no small feat. We’ve also found that navigating cultural differences around data usage and trust in technology adds another layer of complexity. Thankfully, having a global remote team allows us a more informed approach to these cultural nuances and challenges, rather than just relying on research.
With continuous education and collaboration with compliance experts to stay ahead of changes, we also invest heavily in our compliance infrastructure early on, making sure we are fully equipped despite the ever-changing regulatory landscape.
Ultimately, we’ve learned that having a proactive approach to compliance and prioritizing it as part of our growth strategy has been key to maintaining trust and ensuring smooth operations across the various countries where Carepatron operates.
And how about small health practices that you serve? What are the biggest GDPR compliance challenges before they find you?
Small health practices face significant challenges with GDPR compliance, particularly due to limited resources and expertise:
- Ensuring data security and encryption: as many practices rely on outdated systems that leave patient data vulnerable to breaches.
- The technical aspects of securing data storage and access management, especially if they still use physical records or legacy systems that don’t meet modern standards.
- Handling patient rights under GDPR, such as the right to access and data portability. Small practices often find it challenging to manage these requests manually, which can be time-consuming and prone to errors.
- Obtaining and managing patient consent, as many still rely on manual processes, increasing the risk of non-compliance.
Carepatron automates many of these processes, offering secure cloud storage and simplified compliance tools, which ease the administrative burden and allow them to focus more on providing quality patient care.
“For Therapists, this platform is excellent. It adapts very well to home nursing and in-clinic teams. Our team can now document services and manage their daily schedule seamlessly.”
Maria Fonseca, physical therapist
Can you share the practical steps any small healthcare practice can take today to simplify GDPR compliance, and how Carepatron helps with that?
Carepatron provides small health practices with a comprehensive solution that automates many of the complex processes involved in GDPR compliance.
By offering secure cloud storage, we ensure that patient data is encrypted and stored in a way that meets stringent regulatory requirements. This eliminates the need for practices to invest in expensive, on-premise servers or rely on outdated systems that may not offer adequate security. The platform also automates access controls, ensuring that only authorized personnel can view or modify patient records, significantly reducing the risk of data breaches or unauthorized access.
Carepatron also offers tools designed to manage consent and data access requests efficiently, hence simplifying compliance . I wouldn’t get into more technicalities, but Carepatron streamlines the process of handling patient requests for data access or portability, practitioners can now quickly and securely provide the required information without the usual administrative hassle. By automating these processes, Carepatron reduces the compliance burden, allowing healthcare providers to dedicate more time to patient care and less time to managing regulatory paperwork.
Of course, we still expect our clients to be informed and to take measures beyond Carepatron. Still, we are committed to improving our platform to assist our users significantly in this aspect.
What other tools or technologies would you suggest to streamline data protection without breaking the bank?
Tools like encryption, password management, and multi-factor authentication (MFA) are cost-effective and easy to set up, providing an extra layer of protection for client data without needing extensive technical expertise or heavy investment.
Beyond these, two key strategies are essential:
- A strong and proactive incident response plan is critical for building a robust compliance structure. It’s not just about reacting to incidents when they occur but anticipating potential risks and addressing them beforehand.
- Regular staff training on data security and compliance ensures that the entire team remains vigilant and prepared to protect sensitive information.
What’s the biggest misunderstanding you’ve encountered about GDPR compliance in the healthcare sector? What does reality look like?
One is how GDPR compliance in healthcare can be fully addressed with the right technology alone. Many small practices assume that if they have robust encryption, firewalls, or data protection software, they’re automatically compliant. While these tools are essential for safeguarding patient data, GDPR compliance goes far beyond that.
GDPR is as much about culture, processes, and the ‘human element’ as technology. At Carepatron, we’ve found that building a compliance-first mindset means ensuring that data governance, patient consent, and record-keeping are fully integrated into everyday operations; it’s not just about securing data but also how it is handled, accessed, and shared. Continuous staff training, transparent processes, and adaptable policies are just as critical in maintaining a robust compliance infrastructure.
Compliance, not just for GDPR and other frameworks across regions, remains an ongoing journey that requires healthcare teams to be vigilant, informed, and proactive in managing relevant data.
Many argue that GDPR is not doing enough to protect patient data, especially with the rise of AI in healthcare. What’s your take on that? What improvements are needed?
Just like anything else, nothing is bulletproof, not even strict compliance structures. That’s why I always say there’s no room for complacency. While GDPR has laid a solid foundation for protecting patient data, the rise of AI in healthcare presents new challenges that the regulation hasn’t fully addressed yet.
I don’t think this is unique to GDPR, though, since the dynamic development of AI in all industries and day-to-day functions truly disrupted what we know of existing processes and policies. Innovation is always a good thing, but it certainly can be tricky. That said, ensuring that these structures remain adaptive even with such rapid changes is critical. Enforcing bodies should remain strict and vigilant while allowing easier ways for organizations and practices to comply.
At Carepatron, we see the need for a balance between protecting patient data and fostering innovation in healthcare. We ensure that as AI evolves, trust and privacy remain at the core.
Looking ahead, what emerging trends in healthcare and data privacy do you see on the horizon, and how can small health practices future-proof themselves, not just for GDPR but for all privacy laws?
Emerging trends like AI, machine learning, and the growth of telehealth are reshaping healthcare, bringing new data privacy challenges. As regulations around consent and transparency become stricter, small practices need to stay ahead of these changes.
We should not toot our horns, but one method is to try Carepatron. With our healthcare practice management software, even small health practices can future-proof themselves by leveraging secure, scalable technology that adapts to evolving privacy laws. Our platform automates compliance processes and provides tools for effective data governance, allowing practices to focus on patient care while staying compliant with regulations like GDPR and beyond.
How can our readers connect with you?
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-frew-b843618/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/carepatron/
X: https://x.com/CarepatronHQ
Website: https://www.carepatron.com/