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
    preventing from sickness
    The 4 Steps To Take If You Get Sick While Living As An Expat
    August 25, 2024
    workout recovery
    From Fatigue to Fuel: Recovery Hacks for Faster Results
    December 24, 2024
    Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    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
    Image
    Caregivers, Don’t Forget to Wash Your Hands, It Saves Lives
    February 10, 2013
    Misconception – Healthcare Reform Will Impact Medical Science
    March 8, 2012
    Image
    What To Do About Heroin and Oxycontin
    April 26, 2013
    Latest News
    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
    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: 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

Features and Benefits of Patient Engagement Software
Patient Response to Electronic Records
Robotic Surgery: Hospitals Absorb Costs to Gain Market Share
Emerging Technologies That Will Change Dentistry Forever
Dramatic Shifts in Health and Technology in the Last 3 Years Impact Physicians

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

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

Sharing of ‘Good Ideas’ Vital to Solve Healthcare Challenges in 2013

January 5, 2013
Health careMedical DevicesTechnology

Can Medical Devices Help Reduce the Cost of Healthcare?

December 30, 2020
boomer doctors mHealth
eHealthMedical RecordsMobile Health

Boomer Voice: Why Don’t Boomer Docs Embrace Mobile?

August 28, 2013

Mette Dyhrberg talks about application of patient-generated data and self-tracking at Doctors 2.0 & You 2015 #doctors20

September 26, 2015
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?