As sharing patient information and medical research electronically has become a common practice in the healthcare field, hospitals and doctors' offices have a growing need for A2A business integration solutions that ensure secure file transfers.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act regulations and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act place strict regulations on the sharing of personal health information within the healthcare industry. Not meeting compliance standards can result in expensive fines and sanctions, or worse, the breach of patient information. Many organizations are turning to business integration solutions to ensure data security.

"Given the sensitive nature of the information we are dealing with – birth certificates, social security cards, medical malpractice information, etc. – it is essential that we have the necessary tools in place to ensure confidentiality," Primoris Provider Network CIO Bill Navarrette said.

Secure file transfer solutions employ encryption and authentication checkpoints and validate recipients so confidential information is not breached.

The HIPAA was signed into law in 1996. The establishment of national standards for electronic healthcare transactions is covered under Title II of the law. The HITECH Act is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and provides funding to address the privacy and security of electronic health records.