There is a possibility of endangering the privacy and security of people’s health records. This possibility comes along with the breaches of medical privacy. Records show that nearly 300 hospitals, doctors and insurance companies have been involved here. Proponents of shifting to electronic health care records might have second thoughts because of these lapses.
After the shift, it is expected that medical errors will be lowered, costs will be reduced, and the quality of outcomes will be improved. All efforts are being poured in to strengthen the effect of the conversion. This is done by the government in order to maximize the enforcement of existing rules about medical privacy and security.
Health care experts have shared their apprehensions regarding this issue. They are in doubt whether the enforcement of existing laws alone would be enough. Some of them are in favor of implementing stronger laws. As an example, improperly obtaining information should be considered a criminal act. On the user’s side, they are afraid that they could not get health insurance once their private information is opened for public viewing.
Clarification as to the consequences of breaches has not yet been given. Before anything else, the public should be aware of what will happen to the offenders. Only after this has been done can the public give their well-informed decision on the issue. If ever there are baseless fears and apprehensions, these will be erased at once.
Another consideration is how the safety and security of medical health records will be maintained. The Department of Health and Human Services has recently exposed a possible glitch in the system. The area of protecting patients’ records is the most vulnerable. One thing that the agency found out during its inspection is that patients’ personal information is not encrypted. It added that intruders can easily tamper with this data because this is stored on unrestricted computers.
Some government officials themselves made a suggestion if ever the plan for conversion will be implemented. The health care industry should first strive to achieve and maintain the needed level of vigilance in keeping private information safe. There are available tools that can readily enable one’s access to personal information and to connect names and addresses to other relevant data. This is dangerous. The right security system should be in place, otherwise people would just be amazed because their personal information has become public property.
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