As data becomes a valuable commodity, it is important to keep your patients’ records secure at all times. Not only does it ensure the safety of your patients; it also keeps you out of trouble.
Waking to the news that someone broke into your patients’ database and now have access to all your patient’s information is a nightmare. Somewhere, deep down on the Internet, some villains can ruin many lives at the click of a button. By making some of the private information public, these criminal elements can destroy marriages, ruin careers, and drive people to depression or even suicide.After all, medical information is a highly private matter that is deserving of privacy. The possibility of such problems serves to affirm the importance of HIPAA compliance in Texas.
Loss of trust and credibility
doctor-patient confidentiality. Therefore, patients have the right to reveal or not to reveal their health status to anyone. A data breach abuses this right and as a result, your patients can lose trust in your facility. If you are unfortunate to fall victim to a hacking incident, it could have a negative impact on the credibility of your health practice.
Cracks open a Pandora’s box
Naturally, nothing good comes out of a Pandora’s box and in your case, you might draw a class action suit from your patients. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act sets out guidelines that protect the patients’ data. Failure to comply with these guidelines makes your data susceptible to theft and could cause you to spend time behind bars. It attracts both civil and criminal charges on top of hefty fines.Patient data are highly private; therefore, you need to take every possible measure to keep them so. Luckily, complying with HIPAA protocols makes it easy to keep them safe and secure.