How Secure are Your Records?
Recently the HHS Office for Civil Rights posted its data on health data breaches for the 30-day period between May 20 and June 19. The numbers show 100 incidents that potentially exposed over 3,000,000 individuals. Theft accounts for most of the breaches, as in break-ins at health care facilities, but also of stolen laptops, which contain patient information. Also topping the list is paper records, unsecured and vulnerable.
Another recent development in the world of HIPAA enforcement is the conviction and sentencing of a man in California. After losing his job at a Los Angeles health care facility, he accessed health records of several high profile and famous people. He was sentence to 4 months jail time – the first person to receive a jail sentence for a HIPAA violation.
As information spreads out all over the world in electronic and hard copy format, we all have to take extra care with the information in our charge. Protecting your business, your practice and your employees by instituting secure document management procedures and policies will save you money, time, and may end up saving your business itself.
Have you audited your document and record handling procedures lately? What did you find?