What can be done about healthcare breaches?

Healthcare breaches account for nearly 25% of all data breaches.

We can help your practice stay on top of the latest healthcare news, rules, regulations and trends.  Subscribe to stay current and up to date on important matters that will impact your practice.  (To subscribe to our blog ).

One of the biggest issues is that the government is not doing their part to keep patient information safe by failing to update outdated regulations and failing to communicate details of breach incident audits effectively.

The Brookings Institution created a report indicating that the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) and the private sector need to better ensure security practices within healthcare.

The private-sector strategy needs to step up to the challenge, especially when government regulations fail to go the distance.

Over the past six years, over 155,000,000 Americans have had their protected health information potentially exposed through breaches.

Why?

One potential reason is that government incentives led organizations to adopt EHRs without investing in the necessary security and privacy technologies.

Further, HIPAA does not specify how to protect health data and falls short in addressing modern cybersecurity challenges so there is limited guidance for healthcare providers.

How to move improve and avoid breaches:

The Brookings’ report offered several words of advice.

First, healthcare providers need to prioritize patient privacy. This could be further improved through information sharing about security technology, privacy policies and breaches.

Finally, cyber insurance should be widely adapted.

We help our clients apply for and obtain cyber insurance coverage, as it is an effective way to deal with breaches.

In our next blog post, we will keep you informed of related issues.  To get this important information delivered directly to your mail box, 

Do you need help staying current and compliant with the latest laws, rules and regulations?  We can help. To contact us about your new government rules and regulations, your practice’s risk assessment, or about your other legal needs:  CLICK HERE.

P.S. If you or your patients are interested in consumer healthcare issues, check out myhealthspin.com.

Related Posts

Categories

Recent Posts

Breaking: New Self-Disclosure Policy
March 21, 2023
What is a Power of Attorney?
March 16, 2023
Can Your EHR Template Land You in Prison?
March 14, 2023
What Happens When You Don’t Fund Your Trust?
March 9, 2023
What is the Cost of a Data Breach?
March 7, 2023

Subscribe

Enter your email to subscribe now and receive your FREE HIPAA Risk Assessment book!

An essential tool for all healthcare providers, Easy Guide to HIPAA Risk Assessments breaks down the requirements of HIPAA so you can successfully complete your required risk assessment.

 

Get it now for FREE (an $8.99 value!)

One more step! Please check your email to confirm your subscription and receive your FREE book!