When it comes to patients’ PHI, every little detail matters. Whether it’s the alignment of a preprinted mailer or installing antivirus software on your system, these details can make the difference in your health system’s security. Below are four recent security incidents that run the gamut in terms of technology involved, but all of which made the OCR breach report.
Some patients can now get more than just a prescription at their local pharmacy. Two healthcare organizations, BayCare Health System, Inc. in Clearwater, Florida, and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, have announced separate but similar partnerships with Publix and Walgreens that allow patients to visit specially designed telemedicine kiosks where they can video conference with a doctor to get a diagnosis and treatment for non-urgent medical problems.
A former employee of the Transformations Autism Treatment Center in Bartlett, Tennessee, was sentenced to a 30-month imprisonment with a three year supervised release on March 2 for hacking 300 patient files, states a press release from the Department of Justice. The employee will also be facing a monetary fine of $14,941.36 in restitution, as decided by U.S. District Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr.
Q. I recently tried to access my medical records through the hospital’s patient portal. I had a hard time logging in because it prompted me to enter codes sent to my phone several times. It was difficult to keep track of which code was the most recent. I feel like this was an unreasonable barrier. Usually, you’re given the choice to opt out of multifactor authentication or only have to enter one code along with your password. Do multiple authentication codes represent a significant barrier to patient access?
This week's note from the instructor guides you through the recent overhaul of the IOCE and explores some of the most pertinent changes included in the April quarterly update.
