Verifying File Integrity

Protecting patients’ health information through hash files helps your practice meet Merit-Based Incentive Program (MIPS) criteria. To better understand MIPS and its criteria, see qpp.cms.gov.

You can validate that no one has tampered with a file by generating and comparing hash values using the Process Hash File window. After you generate a hash value for a file, you can generate another hash value at a later time for the file and compare the two values. If the comparison is successful, the file is the same as the original file. If the comparison fails, the file has been changed.

This section tells you how to complete actions that validate the original contents of a file, including how

Generating a hash value for a file allows you to compare the file at a later date to verify the integrity of its contents.

  1. Click Tools and select Process Hash File.

    The Process Hash File window opens.

  2. Click Browse next to the File name to Generate Hash text box and select the file you that want to check.
  3. Type a hash file name in the Hash File Name text box or click Browse and navigate to and select an existing hash file.
  4. Click Generate Hash to create the hash value in the hash file that you specified.

    This value will also display in the Hash Value field.

  5. Click Exit to close the Process Hash File window.

    You now have a hash value that you can compare with the current file. Go to To compare files for more information.

Before you can compare files, a hash file must exist for the original file. For more information, go to To generate a hash value for a file.

  1. Click Tools and select Process Hash File.

    The Process Hash File window opens.

  2. Click Browse next to the File name to Generate Hash text box and select the file you that want to compare.
  3. Click Browse next to the Hash File Name text box and navigate to and select an existing hash file with a hash value.
  4. Click Compare Hash.

    A message will display at the bottom of the window indicating the success or failure of the file/hash comparison to the earlier file.

    “Compare Successful” indicates that the file is identical to when you first created the hash value for it. “Compare Failed” indicates that the new hash value created from the file does not match the earlier hash value, and the file has changed.

  5. Click Exit to close the Process Hash File window.