Who is Protecting Your Health Data?

Over the past seven years we have seen the healthcare sector go from a paper based industry to an electronic industry thanks to the acceptance of (EHR) electronic health record software. Physicians along with other healthcare providers benefit greatly from having direct electronic access to health data compared to looking through paper based charts. So who is protecting your health data and how secure is your health data at your doctor’s office, hospital, surgical center or insurance company?

In February the nation’s second-largest health insurer “Anthem” announced a data breach by hackers. It was reported that the hackers broke into a database containing the personal information of nearly 80 million records related to consumers. Health organizations are targets because they maintain larger amounts of health data with significant resale value in black market. Health data has become more valuable to hackers compared to credit cards. Stolen credit card information has a relatively short shelf life as replacement cards can be issued immediately from the credit card companies compared to health data that may contain the patient’s social security number.

Many hospitals and healthcare providers continue to use outdated systems and technology to protect patient health data. These large institutions have a greater number of people accessing patient health data that can lead to the breach of data. The next time you visit your healthcare provider or hospital it is recommended you inquire into what software technology and or company is being used to protect your health data. Find out what steps “specifically” are being taken each day to protect your data. Find out how you would be informed each time someone accesses your health data. Taking a proactive approach to your health data will help to ensure your health data remains secure and uncompromised.

As the leading technology provider for online access to health records, ViewMyHealthRecords.com utilizes the latest technology required to protect all patient health data. All health data viewed online is protected by 256-bit SSL encryption to ensure privacy and maximize security. Patients accessing their health data online at ViewMyHealthRecords.com are immediately emailed each time they access their health data. This provides confirmation to the patient each time their account is accessed at ViewMyHealthRecords.com.