Healthcare providers are responsible for safeguarding their patients’ information. In recent years, several high-profile cases of healthcare data breaches have led to increased scrutiny of how healthcare organizations protect their patients’ information. Most healthcare organizations have implemented various security measures to protect their patients’ information, but not all of these measures are equally effective.
In this blog post, we’ll look at some of the steps healthcare providers can take to secure their patients’ information.
1. Encryption
First, they can encrypt their patients’ data. This means that the data is converted into a code that can only be decrypted by authorized individuals. Encryption is an effective way to protect information, but it can be costly and time-consuming to implement. Due to these costs, many healthcare organizations have not yet encrypted their patients’ data.
But as the cost of encryption technology decreases and the value of healthcare data increases, more and more healthcare organizations are beginning to encrypt their patients’ data. They are also starting to encrypt their internal communications so that even if their systems are breached, the attackers will not be able to read the data.
Providers without experience in encryption should seek professional IT support services to ensure their data is adequately encrypted. These experts can also encrypt providers’ email communications with patients to further protect their information. Many email providers offer free encryption services that are easy to set up.
2. Data Backup
Many healthcare organizations store patients’ data in a central location, such as a server. The attackers could gain access to all patients’ data if this server is breached. To protect against this, healthcare providers can back up their patients’ data in multiple locations. This way, even if one site is breached, the attackers will not be able to access all of the data.
Additionally, large healthcare organizations may consider storing their patients’ data in the cloud. They can benefit from the security measures that the cloud providers have in place, such as encryption and data backup. But if they store large amounts of data in the cloud, they must ensure that their connection is fast enough to handle the increased traffic.
3. Access Control
Doctors are not the only ones who need access to their patient’s data. Nurses, receptionists, and administrative staff also need access to some of this information. But if these employees have too much access, they could accidentally or deliberately misuse it. To prevent this, healthcare providers can implement an access control system to restrict who can view, edit, and use the available details.
This might include requiring users to authenticate themselves with a username and password or using biometric authentication methods like fingerprint scanning. They can also restrict access to certain system areas, such as the patient’s medical records. If they store physical copies of records, they can limit access to these files by keeping them in a locked filing cabinet. By implementing an effective access control system, healthcare providers can make it more difficult for unauthorized individuals to access their patients’ data.
4. Activity Monitoring Systems
Healthcare providers can implement activity monitoring systems to track who is accessing the data and when. This can help them to identify unauthorized access and take appropriate action. Additionally, these systems can generate logs that healthcare providers can use to help investigate data breaches. Some activity monitoring systems can also be configured to send alerts when suspicious activity is detected.
Depending on the organization’s size and needs, activity monitoring systems can be simple or complex. They can be as simple as a spreadsheet that tracks who accesses what data and when. Or they can be more complex, with multiple user access levels and detailed activity logs.
5. Employee Training
Even with the best security measures, healthcare providers cannot protect their patients’ data if their employees are not adequately trained. They must educate their staff on the importance of data security and the steps they can take to protect it. This might include training on password management, email security, and data handling procedures.
Healthcare providers should also have policies and procedures in place for employees to follow. These should protect the patients’ data and prevent unauthorized access. Employees should be aware of these policies and be given the necessary training. They should be subject to disciplinary action if they do not follow the policies.
Healthcare providers have a responsibility to keep their patients’ information safe. By encrypting patient data, implementing access control measures, and activity monitoring, they can help ensure that patient information remains confidential and secure. When combined with employee training, these measures can help to create a robust data security protocol that can protect patients’ information from being accessed or misused.
