Patients Don’t Trust EHR, Survey Says

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Experts emphasize balance between patient care and privacy. Personal health data is less secure now than it was a year ago, according to a recent online survey by nCircle, an IT solutions provider. Almost half of the 257 people who participated in the survey said they are anxious about the fact that multiple partners of their health care providers (i.e., such as EHR vendors and insurers) have access to personal electronic information — increasing the risk of security breaches.

Most Hospital CIOs Cite EMR as Top Priority

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

0 Comments

But a new survey also indicates their direct reports aren’t downloading the message. Getting electronic medical records systems off the ground in their hospitals is the most pressing concern for chief information officers, according to a recently reported survey, but that priority is not making its way down the totem pole to the managers and directors in their IT departments.

For PHI Peace of Mind, Be Kind & Remind

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

0 Comments

Crafting log-on banners helps staff safeguard protected info. Don’t have the time or energy to tie strings around your workforce’s fingers to remind them about the importance of safeguarding the privacy of protected health information (PHI)? Well, here’s a far more practical and effective way to remind your staff to be on guard when it comes to handling PHI.

Use Walkthroughs to Nip Security Problems in the Bud

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

0 Comments

Use inspections to keep your security compliance plan in shape. Does your security compliance program need a checkup? If so, now is the time to begin monitoring your staff so you can knock out compliance violations before they occur. Read on to discover three steps that will help you get started:

Use Role-Based Access Control to Limit PHI Leaks

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

0 Comments

Stop unauthorized PHI disclosures before they start with ‘RBAC.’ If you don’t limit the amount of confidential data your staff can access, how can you ensure that unauthorized disclosures of medical information don’t occur, in violation of HIPAA? One way is to implement a Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) model to determine who has access to your organization’s medical data files. We’ll show you how to get started.

How the Threat of PHI Breaches Decreases Quality of Care

Thursday, March 25, 2010

0 Comments

Plus, your chance to ‘eavesdrop’ on security breaches among healthcare providers across the nation. Any health information professional who uncritically sings the praises of electronic health records should check out this psychiatrist’s op ed piece in The Wall Street Journal. EHRs have the potential to actually decrease quality of care “if patients fear sharing information with their doctors because they know it isn’t private,” writes Dr. Deborah Peel, a practicing psychiatrist who’s the founder of Patient Privacy Rights. “When patients realize they can’t control who sees their electronic health records, they will be far less likely to tell their doctors about drinking problems, feelings of depression, or exposure to sexually transmitted diseases.” And there’s ample evidence that patients already doubt that their medical records are private and secure, despite those long HIPAA forms they routinely sign in doctors’ offices. For example, fifty-nine percent of…

HIPAA Compliance: Outsource PHI Security Safely With These 5 Steps

Monday, March 22, 2010

0 Comments

Learn these facts before you nail down your HIPAA plan with a consultant. You may be relieved to find a consultant who is willing to take over the overwhelming task of helping you protect the privacy in your medical records — but keep in mind that not all outsourced privacy protection companies are the same. Last week, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) settled with LifeLock, Inc., a company that offered identity protection services. “According to the lawsuit, LifeLock claimed its service would protect consumers against all forms of identity theft, when, in fact, LifeLock offered only limited protection against only some forms of ID theft,” the FTC’s statement noted regarding its $11 million settlement with LifeLock. If you’d like help staying current with HIPAA privacy regulations, consider these tips before you outsource any of your privacy needs. 1. The Government Does Allow HIPAA Consultants. Practices that are gun-shy about asking for…

iPad Offers Pros and Cons for EHR Adoption

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

0 Comments

Image copyright Apple We noted last week that there’s a lot of hype swirling around Apple’s release of the iPad — an electronic tablet device that many in the health care technology field see as a revolutionary new tool that will speed the adoption of electronic health records. But other writers and experts are not so sure, and there will certainly be a period of testing and caution before the health care industry embraces new EHR tools of which the iPad is just one example. Read on to find out whether the iPad will actually live up to the hype or just be another fancy toy that will give health care workers and patients a bigger screen to play Tetris on. Here are some key specs of…

80 Percent of Americans Believe EHRs Are Unsecure

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

0 Comments

The feds are pouring billions into the EHR implementation, but the majority of Americans — 80 percent — feel their electronic medical records are at risk when they’re in the hands of private industry or the government, Forbe s reports. (Thanks to Fierce Healthcare’s Neil Versel for the heads up.) The Ponemon Institute survey found that for 71 percent of respondents, it is okay for hospitals, clinics or physicians to store their health records. Likewise 99 percent believe a patient’s doctor should have access to his or her digital health records stored in a national system. However only 38 percent said that a federal government agency should be able to access those records, and only 11 percent thought that private businesses should have access. It may be a good thing that the U.S. Department of Health is not keen on centralizing health records in a single database but…

Connecticut AG Sues Health Net for Security Breach

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

0 Comments

State prosecutors see HITECH as a big stick. If you practice medicine or run a plan in Connecticut, make sure all your practice or organization’s security breach notification policies are in order: The Attorney General is not messing around when it comes to HIPAA enforcement. Following its loss in May 2009 of a portable disk drive from a corporate office, Health Net of Connecticut, Inc. has become the first health plan to get popped by a state attorney general under the HITECH Act’s new enforcement provisions, which allow state AGs to enforce HIPAA’s penalty provisions for security violations.

Healthcare IT Update

Tag Archive | "security"