It seems like we hear about data breaches on a routine basis. But we
normally hear about them coming from retail organizations. We
typically do not think about the risks for our personal medical
information to be compromised. We are referencing the
Massachusetts clinic breach that happened back in 2016 due to
unauthorized HIE access. It was also said that the intruder also
accessed information of individuals that were not specifically
Codman patients.
Some recommended step to prevent type of breach from occurring
would be:
• Analyse current security risks by making sure there are no signs
of altered or broken information on a routine basis.
• Make sure to have a response plan in place if something is
found.
• Always stay current on what and how the secured information
is to be handled. Educate and train constantly.
• Limit access to the health records to only those who need it.
• Create sub or alter networks to be able to switch information
around if needed.
• Limit use of personal devices, only use the organizations
equipment that is confirmed to be secured.
• Make sure to use current IT infrastructure, stay away from
outdated programs, with this is making sure to update the
software regularly.
Though it is very important to keep things updated it can sometimes
be a little cumbersome. One of the biggest issues is the cost factor. It
can be pretty expensive to install and maintain the best security
systems and then there is the cost of keeping it upgraded and the
staff trained on proper utilization. It is a full-time job for not just one
individual but a team to keep everything up to date and secure.
There are also legal and ethical considerations in the security and
privacy. Some of the laws and standards that may be applied are,
having guidelines or rules that will establish uniform specifications,
criteria, methods, and a consistent approved process. Standards are
essential to improving healthcare. From the legal side we look at the
HIPAA privacy rules, security rules, and Breach Notification rules.
They are all in place for the protection of the patient. The
Massachusetts Clinic Breach was a definite violation of patient
information. And it was an eye opener for other organizations using
an HIE access. By making sure standards are implemented and
maintained it will hopefully ensure this will not happen again.
Successful strategies for healthcare ... - digital health news. (n.d.).
Retrieved November 18, 2021, from
https://www.digitalhealthnews.eu/images/stories/pdf/successful_str
ategies_for_healthcare_security_privacy.pdf.
Health it playbook. (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2021, from
https://www.healthit.gov/playbook/health-information-exchange/
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office ... - HHS.
(n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2021, from
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/hie-faqs.pdf
