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Crafting an Effective Data Governance Strategy Aligned with HIPAA Requirements: A Guiding Path
Crafting an Effective Data Governance Strategy Aligned with HIPAA Requirements: A Guiding Path

November 6, 2023

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Since the early 2000s, the healthcare industry has undergone a rapid transformation. The capacity in which the healthcare industry operates is no less than a Sci-fi movie! Just over ten years ago, the Human Genome Project completed mapping human DNA, and now individuals can perform at-home genetic tests at nominal costs. This transformation has led to a humongous amount of data and with the adoption of the latest innovative technologies, it’s predicted to increase by manifolds.

Previously, manila folders were used to document the health records, but now many patients and their families can access their health records online. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic and its need for social distancing have encouraged and increased the online availability of healthcare apps. These online apps are conveniently utilized by patients to consult a doctor at any given time with just a click and along with loads of online data sharing.

HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health) bill was passed in 2009 as part of the recovery act in support of the benefits of digitalization in healthcare. Healthcare providers are encouraged to use electronic health records (EHRs) by the HITECH Act in which HIEs (Health Information Exchanges) benefit patients and the data can be shared to help doctors. This also means that the EHRs are shared between multiple providers such as the diagnostic labs, the doctors, the patients, and more making it vulnerable to online data theft.

Although it’s great that we are experiencing and gaining several benefits from the technological advancements in the healthcare industry, it also serves some challenges. Protection of the patient’s data is one of the prime areas of challenge for the healthcare industry as with growing technological advancements it’s also growing by greater manifolds. Did you know the healthcare industry experiences the highest number of data breaches as compared to any other industry? What’s more alarming is that according to the HIPAA Journal in 2023, with the healthcare sector accounting for 45% of all reported data breaches, in the first half of 2023 alone, there were 308 healthcare data breaches reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), affecting over 40 million individuals. The implications of this trend are alarming, as unauthorized access to sensitive healthcare information can have severe consequences for individuals and healthcare organizations. Breaches can result in compromised medical records, financial losses, and even identity theft.

Several healthcare records were exposed and potentially stolen in the two biggest healthcare data breaches. In July 2023, HCA Healthcare, one of the largest healthcare providers in the United States, suffered a data breach that compromised the records of 11.27 million individuals. The breach was caused by a sophisticated ransomware attack that exploited a vulnerability in the company’s IT systems. Another largest breach was reported by MCNA Dental, a dental insurance company in August 2023, reported a data breach that affected 8.8 million individuals. The breach was caused by a phishing attack that tricked employees into clicking on a malicious link, which gave hackers access to the company’s network.

IDC estimates that 80% of medical data remains untapped and unstructured after its creation. The data types under this category comprise typed and written text, radiological images, pathology slides, video, audio, streaming device data, PDF files, faxes, PowerPoint slides, and emails. Even the healthcare organizations that integrated IT and electronic health records (EHRs) to enhance interoperability now sit on mountains of unstructured data that are hard to find, organize, process, or use. Most high-profile data breaches involve the release of unstructured information containing personal information such as addresses, names, account information, and so forth.

Click here to read about What steps can be taken to address these challenges?


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