By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    How Not to Become a Victim of Medical Scams
    How Not to Become a Victim of Medical Scams
    December 22, 2021
    11 Ways You Can Care for Your Elder Family Members Health
    11 Ways You Can Care for Your Elder Family Members Health
    April 6, 2022
    How Can Brain Injury Lead To Dangerous Long-Term Effects?
    How Can Brain Injury Lead To Dangerous Long-Term Effects?
    August 30, 2022
    Latest News
    6 Easy Healthcare Ways to Sit Less and Move More Every Day
    September 10, 2025
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Why are Girls Being Abandoned and Battered ?
    August 20, 2012
    biopharma beat innovation and imagination
    BioPharma Beat: Imagination Is More Important Than Innovation
    August 5, 2014
    HIPAA Compliance Breaches Higher Than Ever: What Are You Doing About It?
    April 26, 2016
    Latest News
    Healthcare at a Crossroads: Why Leadership Matters More Than Ever
    September 9, 2025
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: HIPAA Compliance Breaches Higher Than Ever: What Are You Doing About It?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > Hospital Administration > HIPAA Compliance Breaches Higher Than Ever: What Are You Doing About It?
Hospital AdministrationMedical Ethics

HIPAA Compliance Breaches Higher Than Ever: What Are You Doing About It?

jennacyprus
jennacyprus
Share
5 Min Read
SHARE

In 2015, we witnessed the highest level of HIPAA compliance breaches yet, and 2016 isn’t expected to be much better. Even if you’re a small practice, you’re not immune to security breaches, and you’re probably making more mistakes than you realize. It’s essential that medical professionals make it a priority to protect themselves and their practices from such mistakes.

In 2015, we witnessed the highest level of HIPAA compliance breaches yet, and 2016 isn’t expected to be much better. Even if you’re a small practice, you’re not immune to security breaches, and you’re probably making more mistakes than you realize. It’s essential that medical professionals make it a priority to protect themselves and their practices from such mistakes.

Since 2009, there have been more than 29.3 million cases in which a patient’s health records were compromised due to a data breach. In 2014, the number of data breaches jumped 138 percent from 2012. This doesn’t include the possible millions of compliance issues organizations face every day without reporting them. Experts predict that if every HIPAA compliance violation was reported, the number would be closer to 40 million.

This is a very serious matter. Compliance breaches not only put patients at risk, but also threaten your practice. When healthcare records are compromised, it can subject the perpetrators to lawsuits with claims as serious as medical negligence, which can result in a lost license.

More Read

Emergency Department Charges
The Art of Engagement: A Review
Readmissions: Hard to Predict Who it Will Be and Why
Kinect Technology Saves Having to Rescrub!
5 Challenges Hospitals Face in 2015

Many of these breaches are completely avoidable if professionals take the proper precautions and treat their patient records with utmost care and respect. Here are some of the ways healthcare providers can promote HIPAA compliance.

Recognize Common Breaches

One of the best steps you can take towards prevention is recognizing when and how breaches happen most. Here are some of the most common violations:

  • Disclosing patient information to a third party without permission
  • Failing to destroy outdated information
  • Making mistakes when filing paperwork
  • Incorrectly disposing of patient information
  • Failing to encrypt your computer and put up security measures to prevent hacking
  • Lost or stolen devices

Most of the time, human error is at fault, and working with your staff is the best way you can avoid these breaches and protect your patient information. Include the most common violations in training to keep all employees on the same page.

Update Company Policies

In an effort to keep your employees informed regarding common violations and prevention measures, update your company policies. Combining device scanning with workflow, policies, and procedures will help you establish a more complete picture of what changes need to be made. When policies are updated to meet the latest compliance standards, it makes keeping violations under control much easier.

Train Employees 

Hold regular training meetings in which you discuss the policies put in place and ensure employees are all on the same page. In addition to meetings, send out informational emails and documents to illustrate changes and updates and to underscore the importance of keeping up with these changes.

Trainings can become cumbersome and are often overdone, but this is one area of your practice you can’t afford to skip. You may even need to hire out for extra help in order to complete more accurate trainings and write policies that maintain current HIPAA standards.

When your entire practice is on board with the policies and standards, you’ll have a much easier time keeping information safe and secure. It’s not worth risking a lawsuit or possible license loss just to skip these trainings. If you want to keep your facility from becoming another statistic, you’ll do what it takes to make your facility comply.

TAGGED:HIPAA
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

a woman walking on the hallway
6 Easy Healthcare Ways to Sit Less and Move More Every Day
Health
September 9, 2025
Clinical Expertise
Healthcare at a Crossroads: Why Leadership Matters More Than Ever
Global Healthcare
September 9, 2025
travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025

You Might also Like

2015 Means an Increase in Medicare Penalties for Readmissions

February 17, 2015
Medical Records

Should HIPAA Compliance Guard All Protected Medical Information?

December 30, 2013

How Does Your Hospital Compare on Hospital Acquired Conditions?

April 20, 2011
HIPAA-compliant hosting
BusinessHospital AdministrationPolicy & Law

What Is HIPAA Compliant Hosting?

October 8, 2014
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?