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
    improving patient experience
    6 Ways to Improve Patient Satisfaction Within Hospitals
    December 1, 2021
    degree for healthcare job
    What Are The Health Benefits Of Having A Degree?
    March 9, 2022
    custom software development is changing healthcare
    Digital Customer Journey Mapping and its Importance for Healthcare
    July 21, 2022
    Latest News
    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
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 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
    Patient Perception
    Medical Scrubs And Patient Perception: How Clothing Affects Patient Trust
    July 11, 2023
    How Would You Choose The Best Medical Clothing And Gloves?
    September 15, 2021
    MTBI Testing Helps Get Settlements to Cover Medical Bills
    April 16, 2024
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 20, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 20, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 20, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 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

Online Patient Community Building in Hospitals [PODCAST]
6 Tips for Healthcare Recruiting Success
The PCMH and Home Care Data: An Interview with Melissa McCormack
Anatomy of a Doctor – Infographic
Medical Practice Software Creates Earthshaking Opportunities for Clinics

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

engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025
physiotherapist at work
How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
Health care
August 20, 2025
Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs
7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
Health News
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

How the Healthcare Industry Has Reduced Aggravation For Patients

February 8, 2016

How Does Your Physician Relations Program Stack Up?

June 12, 2012

The Cost of Diagnosis: The Sometimes Fatal “Incidentaloma”

January 26, 2013

Healthcare Associated Infections: What is the Message, and What Can We Do About Them?

July 9, 2011
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?