DATA BREACH-MEDICAL ID CRIME - Health Care Data Breaches Significantly Increased in 2011

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DATA BREACH-MEDICAL ID CRIME 
Health Care Data Breaches Significantly Increased in 2011 
Data Breach Legal Watch                     David J. Shannon                     01/05/2012

The Ponemon Institute just released their second annual benchmark study on patient privacy and data security. Not surprisingly, the study demonstrates that data breaches significantly increased in 2011. A number of key points can be found in the study’s findings. 

One of the more interesting findings was the increased use of unsecured mobile devices in the health care industry. Since these devices generally contain Protected Health Information (PHI), the potential for even more data breaches occurring in 2012 is high, as the devices can easily be lost, stolen or otherwise accessed. 

Other key findings in the research paper are as follows:

• Data breaches have increased 32% within healthcare organizations since 2010. 

• 49% of the participants in the survey admit that their organization does nothing to protect their mobile devices from a data breach. 

• More than half of the respondent organizations did not have sufficient policies that prevent and/or deter data breaches. 

• The economic impact of a data breach has increased more than 10% from 2010. On average, a data breach has an economic impact of $2.2 Million Dollars. 

• More than 35% of the respondents indicated that data breaches were discovered by patient complaints not the healthcare provider. 

Finally, the study found that a large number of healthcare providers cite economic restraints as a major role in a providers’ failure to properly implement data breach prevention policies and procedures. With the economic struggles in the United States and Europe continuing, healthcare providers will likely continue to face significant obstacles when attempting to implement a proper data security program. 

Clearly, these economic constraints will play a part in more health care related data breaches. A key question that the healthcare industry will have to address in the coming year is how to prevent data breaches when faced with these budgetary issues as well as PHI contained on more mobile devices. End repost.