Is the health pandemic leading to a PHI pandemic?

Many recent breaches and security issues have been linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, as a great deal of health information is being transmitted using processes that were hastily put in place.

We can help your practice get up to date and prepared to minimize breach risks from third-party vendors. Subscribe to stay current and up to date on important matters that will impact your practice.  (To subscribe to our blog ).

Given the rise in information breaches, physician practices should be on high alert.

Patient data is always a large target, but with the increase in health information, breaches are occurring more frequently.

A greater number of employers and colleges are also handling more patient information due to the pandemic and vaccinations.

Recently, California State University, Chico just saw a breach of all students requesting exemptions to vaccine mandates. Personal information about all students was posted online, including names and phone numbers and detailed explanations for exemption requests.

Employers handing patient data and physician offices who routinely handle patient data need to protect all data against the rampant breaches.

Make sure you are following all required safeguards. Failure to protect data leads to a lack of trust on the part of patients and employees.

Encrypting patient data and training staff is essential in maintaining data security.

Staff need to be trained regularly in how to handle protected health information (PHI) and how to report any suspicions they may have regarding potential breaches.

Hire a healthcare attorney to help with your risk assessment and audits to ensure that you are addressing all vulnerabilities.

Finally, if you do experience a breach, make sure to comply with all timelines. We help our practices and entities protect their data before a breach can occur. We also help clients respond effectively following any suspected breach.

We publish vital information on health law topics and news every Wednesday and Friday. To get this important information delivered directly to your mail box, 

Do you need help with updating your Business Associate Agreement or negotiating contracts with third-party vendors?  We can help. To contact us about your Business Associate Agreement, your vendor contracts or your other legal needs:  CLICK HERE.

Related Posts

Categories

Recent Posts

Do I Need an Emergency List?
March 23, 2023
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

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!