Cloud computing can also lessen the risks by making it more difficult to actively 'transport' data away from secure premises. "According to an HHS database, more than 40% of medical data breaches in the past two and a half years involved portable media devices such as laptops or hard drives" (Schultz 2012)
Q3. How can we minimize injury and harm after such incidents occur?
First and foremost, it is important to inform the affected patients of the nature and extent of the security breach. Patients can take action by putting a credit freeze on their accounts, if they are at risk for identity theft. Offering patients free credit protection might be one way to reduce anger and concern. Passwords must be changed to ensure that repeated breaches do not take place, and the system must be thoroughly audited for vulnerabilities. It must be determined if the breach was a one-time event or is part of...
Are such matters simply a "cost of during business" as we move towards e-systems and EHRs?
With every new form of technology, something is lost and something is gained. Before records were kept electronically, there was still the risk of patient data being compromised if someone accessed a file room or took a file home. This does not mean that it professionals should be complacent about it breaches, but that they should be placed in context. The risks of misdiagnosis and incomplete records are ultimately much greater than the potential security risks posed by the shift to EHRs.
References
Schultz, D. (2012). As patients' records go digital, theft and hacking problems grow
Kaiser Permanente Health News. Retrieved: http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2012/June/04/electronic-health-records-theft-hacking.aspx
