In the age of electronic health records, the issue of patient privacy has acquired new urgency. With information stored electronically, it can be accessed by multiple users from different locations from any computer terminal, as well as mobile devices. Some electronic medical records also have patient portals so that patients can access their records as well.
Due to the instantaneous, ubiquitous access to information that electronic records provide, some argue that it opens up such a system to privacy abuse.
Some experts say the healthcare industry as a whole needs to pay more attention to the issue, and realize the importance of maintaining patient privacy. Traditional attitudes toward health information remain stubbornly embedded in the way healthcare organizations do business.
There are data security measures that healthcare organizations can take to protect patient privacy, such as unique patient and access identifiers; encrypting the transmission of information; having information security officers with responsibility towards police record-keeping practices; and installing firewalls, which are electronic barriers that prevent unauthorized access.
Maintaining patient privacy, accountability and clear guidelines are key, according to healthcare privacy experts.
One especially important element of electronic records is that they enable organizations to monitor everyone who accesses patient records. There is an audit trail that can deter unauthorized people from looking at records.
Healthcare organizations must take steps to actively monitor activity with regard to records and investigate diligently if there is suspicion of unauthorized access. This is an important component if deterrence is to be effective. If people know that they will be caught when they access healthcare records they should not be looking at, and that it may impact their job and career, they are much less likely to breach patient privacy.
Moreover, using certain data mining techniques increases the effectiveness of the monitoring process. For example, screening the records of high-profile patients – which are likely to draw increased curiosity – and unexpected links, such as someone who works in pediatrics looking at adult patient records, could be used as effective monitoring techniques.
Security experts say this method is more efficient than attempting to restrict access through numerous security procedures, which can also affect patient care.
It is important to have the right people who are competent, who know the privacy guidelines as well as the technology, to make all of this work.
If your hospital or medical facility needs IT professionals skilled in keeping electronic patient records private, contact Morgan Hunter Healthcare. We can source and place individuals skilled in HCIS project and staff augmentation, assessments, implementations, migrations, upgrades, project management, and Interim Management Services (IMS). Contact us today.