Medical Data Breaches: What the Reported Data Illustrates, and Implications for Transitioning to Electronic Medical Records

Abstract

Breaches involving private consumer data are gaining more attention with the increasing push towards electronic records, and the demand for freer access to data. In the medical field, these breaches assume greater significance as they involve private data, and are regulated in far greater measure. The health care industry stores vast amounts of data, and the opportunity for breaches is considerable. This article examines reported medical data breaches and identifies patterns in the data. The results provide insights into the nature of breaches, their frequency, and trends. Implications for health care organizations and individuals are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Medical data breaches
• security
• privacy
• information management practices
• reporting