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
    stress management for healthcare workers
    3 Tips For Healthcare Professionals: How To Stay Beautiful, Healthy, and Happy
    November 2, 2021
    importance of relaxing on the weekend for your health
    Importance of Relaxing During the Weekend for Optimal Health
    March 25, 2022
    LASIK Eye Surgery
    What Is LASIK Eye Surgery?
    May 16, 2022
    Latest News
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    July 31, 2025
    Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
    July 20, 2025
    How Probate Planning Shapes the Future of Your Estate and Family Care
    July 17, 2025
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 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
    You Probably Thought the Public Option Was Dead
    June 1, 2011
    Employers as Doctors
    July 9, 2011
    Pushback On My Medicare Proposals
    August 12, 2011
    Latest News
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
    How Health Choices and Legal Actions Intersect After an Injury
    July 17, 2025
    How communities and healthcare providers can address slip and fall injuries with legal awareness
    July 17, 2025
    Let Your Lawyer Handle the Work Before You Pay Medical Costs
    July 6, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Keeping Patient Data Secure in a Digital World
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 > eHealth > Medical Records > Keeping Patient Data Secure in a Digital World
Medical RecordsTechnology

Keeping Patient Data Secure in a Digital World

Dennis Hung
Dennis Hung
Share
5 Min Read
SHARE

Americans have been “vulnerable” to the misuse of their own personal records since the birth of our nation. With the advent of computers and data storage via digital media (e.g., floppies, hard drives, cloud drives, etc.), data security has become more and more difficult to maintain because there is a limited ability to place any “lock” on personal information. This demand for increased data security has now bled into the healthcare industry.

The reported number of medical practices that have been hacked has risen over the past decade. Congress initiated efforts at more comprehensive security when it passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (aka “HIPAA”) in 1996 with the purpose of bringing some safety to digital records. Even with legislations in place, however, it is up to the individual doctors and private practice owners to ensure their patients’ confidential information remains secure.

Safety of Medical Data

Healthcare providers must store health records digitally, maintain security, and control access to that information (i.e., assure privacy). HIPAA gives consumers access to their medical records, but limits who else may have access. This is extremely significant since social security numbers, credit card information, bank card payment routing, as well as patient records and related history data may reside in those medical records. A consumer may release medical record information to family and related care-givers, but healthcare providers are legally bound to protect consumer privacy from others, including third-party payers. Unfortunately, malware on our personal devices may compromise that access.

More Read

Healthy Gadgets For Boomers, Seniors & Caregivers
MIGS Device Approval Brings Hope For Glaucoma Patients
Why Clinicians Are Frustrated with Health IT
The Evolving Role and Stature of Health Information Management (HIM)
NanoViricides Reports Positive Anti-viral Effect of HIV Drug

Protecting Patient Confidential Information

Patients have a number of vehicles for protection from identity theft and privacy of their personal data. Healthcare providers also have several things that they may do to secure patient records, e.g., keep software updated to current standards (meet current “Electronic Data Interchange” standards); utilize encrypted web access with the current standard (currently “https”); control access to all storage apparatus (including who may operate keyboards to access data or websites by continually altering passwords for those users); utilize security measures to identify and limit access to malware; etc. Such organizations as Electronic Frontier Foundation, Fight for the Future, Google, Mozilla, etc. make software available to enhance privacy for individuals and businesses.

An Evolving Problem Beyond HIPAA Data

The data security threat continues to morph. No longer is the focus on home computers. The hacker emphasis now appears to be on companies’ data storage libraries stored in the cloud. We have become a society of myriads and myriads of i-phones, tablets, i-watches, and minicomputers capable of accessing information immediately on a highly mobile basis. “Innocent” websites entice users into a labyrinth of “buttons,” “taskbars,” “games,” etc.

What appears innocent may be a vehicle for planting code within the gadget’s operating system that enables the hacker to gain access to account numbers, passwords, data libraries, businesses, etc. residing on the electronic device. It then becomes easy for the hacker to use this information to access accounts and place similar sleeper programs on a corporate entity’s storage system. Aetna in the healthcare universe and Target in the retail marketplace are examples of the result, major compromises of client data.

Avoiding Potential Cybersecurity Threats

There is a time to seek professional security help. Industry specialist and chief technology officer Hugh Thompson notes, according to Blue Coat, that even “as we sleep, exercise, work and shop with our mobile devices, cyber criminals are waiting to take advantage of the data these devices collect, as evidenced by the types of malware and attacks we’re seeing. … The implications of this nefarious activity certainly carry over to corporate IT as organizations rapidly adopt cloud-based, mobile versions of enterprise applications, opening up another avenue for attackers.”

TAGGED:cyber securityEMR
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
Health
July 31, 2025
holistic dental
Holistic Dentist Services Are Natural and Safe
Dental health Specialties
July 28, 2025
botox certification
Help Improve People’s Skin Health Via Botox Certification
Skin Specialties
July 22, 2025
Telemedicine Apps
Why Custom Telemedicine Apps Outperform Off‑the‑Shelf Solutions
Health
July 20, 2025

You Might also Like

Use of Light Technology Avoids Blood Clotting

March 11, 2011

Personalized Medicine and a Cure for Cancer

December 10, 2014

Why Electronic Medical Records Aren’t Being Used

March 22, 2011
2016 - The Year of Mobile Health Image
eHealthMobile HealthSocial MediaTechnology

2016: The Year of Mobile Health

March 2, 2016
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?