We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




Hospitals Face Increased Risk of Data Breaches

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 26 Apr 2017
Print article
A new study suggests that as health providers adopt health information technology, they increasingly suffer from data breaches.

Researchers at Michigan State University, Ball State University, and Johns Hopkins University conducted a retrospective data analysis of data breaches reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services between October 2009 and December 2016. By law, U.S. hospitals covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA), must notify the HHS of any breach affecting 500 or more individuals within 60 days of the discovery of the breach.

The results revealed that during the study period, healthcare providers reported 1,225 of the 1,798 recorded breaches, while business associates, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses reported the remaining 573 data breaches. Of these, 257 breaches were reported by 216 hospitals; importantly, 33 hospitals experienced more than one breach, many of them large, major teaching hospitals, such as UC Davis Medical Center (CA, USA) and Henry Ford Hospital (Detroit, MI, USA). The study was published on April 3, 2017, in JAMA Internal Medicine.

“This research reinforces the critical trade-off patient’s face: healthcare systems having access to information they need, versus a hacker planning to spend your savings at Best Buy,” said lead author Xuefeng Jiang, PhD, of MSU, and colleagues. “While the law requires health care professionals and systems to cross-share patient data, the more people who can access data, the less secure it is.”

A data breach is defined as a security incident in which sensitive, protected, or confidential data is copied, transmitted, viewed, stolen or used by an individual unauthorized to do so. Data breaches may involve financial information such as credit card or bank details, personal health information, personally identifiable information, trade secrets of corporations, or intellectual property.

Gold Member
Real-Time Diagnostics Onscreen Viewer
GEMweb Live
Gold Member
STI Test
Vivalytic Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) Array
Silver Member
Wireless Mobile ECG Recorder
NR-1207-3/NR-1207-E
New
Patient Monitor
CMS9100PLUS

Print article

Channels

Critical Care

view channel
Image: Researchers have developed a novel risk score for cardiovascular complications after bone marrow transplant (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Novel Tool Predicts Cardiovascular Risks after Bone Marrow Transplantation

Every year, thousands of people undergo bone marrow transplants to potentially cure serious diseases like leukemia, lymphoma, and immune deficiency disorders. While these transplants can be lifesaving,... Read more

Surgical Techniques

view channel
Image: The Early Bird Bleed Monitoring System provides visual and audible indicators of the onset and progression of bleeding events (Photo courtesy of Saranas)

Novel Technology Monitors and Lowers Bleeding Complications in Patients Undergoing Heart Procedures

Bleeding complications at the femoral access site can significantly hamper recovery, affecting the success of procedures, patient satisfaction, and overall healthcare costs. It is crucial for surgeons... Read more

Patient Care

view channel
Image: The newly-launched solution can transform operating room scheduling and boost utilization rates (Photo courtesy of Fujitsu)

Surgical Capacity Optimization Solution Helps Hospitals Boost OR Utilization

An innovative solution has the capability to transform surgical capacity utilization by targeting the root cause of surgical block time inefficiencies. Fujitsu Limited’s (Tokyo, Japan) Surgical Capacity... Read more

Point of Care

view channel
Image: The new eye-safe laser technology can diagnose traumatic brain injury (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Novel Diagnostic Hand-Held Device Detects Known Biomarkers for Traumatic Brain Injury

The growing need for prompt and efficient diagnosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI), a major cause of mortality globally, has spurred the development of innovative diagnostic technologies.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.