How secure is eClinicalWorks® in light of theft study? Just ask Homeland Security
A recent study from the Ponemon Institute — a nonprofit that was created in 2002 that independently researches electronic information security — found there was about 20 percent more theft of medical records last year than in 2013 across the United States.
For the nonprofit’s 38-page study, now in its fifth year, researchers surveyed nearly 50,000 adults to determine the breadth and scope of medical theft here.
What the researchers found was that more than 2.3 million Americans are likely affected by medical identity theft every year. In another part of their website, the institute goes on to declare 2014 the “year of the megabreach.”
Ironically enough, since the respondents returned their answers to the organization in November, the data did not include the Anthem Blue Cross breach, now considered one of the largest healthcare security dilemmas in U.S. history, that likely will affect 80 million Americans.
The study’s other findings included the fact that only about 30 percent of respondents felt confident that their healthcare providers were keeping their medical records secure.
In addition to that, about half of the survey’s respondents said they would change providers if they felt their privacy was not being considered as high enough of a priority.
With a priority placed on security, the EMR software eclinicalworks®, is likely a great solution to many of these concerns for the average American consumer, but also for larger entities that store sensitive data on EMR.
Take, for instance, in early September last year, when the Department of Homeland Security — which no doubt has a crucial interest in its own privacy — put its trust the cloud-based system for 23 of its locations.
Since then, no breaches of the DHS’ medical records have been known to occur.