A government website shows some 300 hospitals, physicians and insurance companies have reported data breaches of patient information, spanning over the last couple of years, according to a New York Times news report.
The startling high number of data breaches, which can be devastating to consumers, raises some concern as President Obama continues encourage healthcare providers to become meaningful users of electronic medical records. In the past two years alone, the personal health information of at least 7.8 million individuals was exposed, according to the news report.
In their efforts to prevent data breach, the administration is reworking privacy and security rules to keep patient information safer. Part of that reworking includes heftier financial penalties to providers who fail to stay aligned with HIPAA. Earlier this year, Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston was issued a $1 million fine after a hospital employee left behind medical records of nearly 200 patients on a subway, according to the news report. The hospital settled but did not admit any wrongdoing.
Read the news report about medical records privacy and security.
Related Articles on EMRs:
Hospitals Developing Patient Portals for Better Access to Personal Health Information
Healthcare Providers That Don't E-Prescribe May See 1% Medicare Payment Reduction
CDC Seeks Vendor to Assist in Developing Requirements for Syndromic Surveillance
The startling high number of data breaches, which can be devastating to consumers, raises some concern as President Obama continues encourage healthcare providers to become meaningful users of electronic medical records. In the past two years alone, the personal health information of at least 7.8 million individuals was exposed, according to the news report.
In their efforts to prevent data breach, the administration is reworking privacy and security rules to keep patient information safer. Part of that reworking includes heftier financial penalties to providers who fail to stay aligned with HIPAA. Earlier this year, Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston was issued a $1 million fine after a hospital employee left behind medical records of nearly 200 patients on a subway, according to the news report. The hospital settled but did not admit any wrongdoing.
Read the news report about medical records privacy and security.
Related Articles on EMRs:
Hospitals Developing Patient Portals for Better Access to Personal Health Information
Healthcare Providers That Don't E-Prescribe May See 1% Medicare Payment Reduction
CDC Seeks Vendor to Assist in Developing Requirements for Syndromic Surveillance