Balancing Accessibility and Privacy With Washington Healthcare Data Security

A woman's hands typing on laptop with a stethoscope next to it.

Healthcare data is an invaluable asset. Institutions like yours use it to deliver efficient care as well as advance medical research.

However, the fact that virtually all healthcare records are digital creates a pressing challenge: balancing data accessibility and privacy.

Reaching this balance is paramount in Washington State — where the healthcare landscape is both innovative and highly regulated.

The Dual Imperative: Accessibility and Privacy

Accessibility in healthcare data means that authorized medical professionals and patients can quickly and efficiently access pertinent health information.

Immediate access is crucial for core areas:

Timely diagnoses
Effective treatment
Coordinated care

Imagine an emergency situation is at hand, and you can’t instantly access a patient’s medical history. Worst-case scenario, that patient could lose their life because you don’t know their medical background.

Meanwhile, privacy is the cornerstone of patient trust and ethical medical practice.

Patients must feel confident that their personal health information is secure in your hands. They need to know that only certified (or at least entrusted) people can access and see it.

This confidence certainly comforts patients — that is, they know data protection is at play. But it’s also a legal requirement under regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Understanding the ins and outs of healthcare data compliance regulations isn’t always easy. That’s not to mention keeping current with updates, changes and the rise of new rules.

Luckily, CMIT Solutions of Bothell stays in the know when it comes to HIPAA compliance.

Challenges in Washington Healthcare Data Security

Washington State is home to hundreds of tech companies, some of which are the top in the world including Amazon and Microsoft. With that, residents from all over the world live there. Several top-rated universities are also in the state — one of which (the University of Washington Medical School) ranks No.1 in the nation for primary care.

As you’d expect, the Washington healthcare system is robust. And with that strength comes unique healthcare data security challenges.

When advanced healthcare services and modern technology merge, you get an environment where institutions continuously generate, share and store data.

This dynamic environment requires stringent measures to protect data while ensuring it remains accessible to authorized users, such as patients, healthcare providers and administrative staff.

Let’s get into the top data security challenges that the Washington healthcare industry faces.

Cybersecurity Threats

Cybersecurity threats, such as ransomware, phishing attacks and data breaches, have become more prevalent as records go digital.

Records have been digital for some time now. Still, consider that all major healthcare organizations in Washington state began adopting a new system and transferring records to the Epic healthcare database just a handful of years ago in 2015.

The fact that records are digital and in databases — let alone transfer among them — causes threats to emerge. These threats may compromise patient data, leading to financial loss, legal repercussions and potentially weaker patient trust.

Regulatory Compliance

Navigating the complex web of federal and state compliance regulations requires Washington healthcare providers to implement comprehensive data security measures.

Noncompliance can (and often does) result in severe penalties and reputational damage.

Interoperability

The issue of interoperability is another significant challenge.

It’s imperative that different healthcare systems and providers can seamlessly share information while maintaining data security. However, they have to do so without compromising patient privacy.

Strategies for Balancing Accessibility and Privacy

To address these challenges, Washington State healthcare organizations are adopting several strategies with the help of vetted IT experts.

Advanced Encryption and Authentication

Implementing robust encryption methods ensures unauthorized users can’t read data.

For example, multi-factor authentication (MFA) is one simple way to add an extra layer of security to your system. Unauthorized individuals have far more difficulty accessing your sensitive information with MFA.

Regular Security Audits and Assessments

Conducting frequent security audits helps identify vulnerabilities in your system. And while you might think that small clinics may not have to run them as often because they have fewer patients, this just isn’t the case.

For starters, all patient information is important to protect. That holds true whether an institution has only five patients or hundreds of them.

IT professionals can perform security audits and assessments for your clinic, hospital or private practice. Then, they can address weaknesses before cybercriminals exploit them.

Training and Awareness Programs

It’s certainly tempting to want to rely entirely on IT professionals for data security matters. Nonetheless, you must ensure your internal staff understands some basic concepts.

Educating your staff about what data security means, why it’s important and its best practices can significantly reduce the risk of human error.

In fact, human error is the leading cause of data breaches. Even an error as simple as failing to update a password can lead to serious consequences.

Consider requiring your staff to earn certifications, enroll in training programs or attend classes. Those efforts will only work in your and your patients’ favor.

Implementing Access Controls

Role-based access controls (RBAC) ensure people can access only the information necessary to carry out their specific role.

This reduces the risk of unauthorized access.

For example, RBAC may prevent front desk receptionists or other healthcare administrative staff from viewing or accidentally sharing patient data. In turn, you avert a potential data breach.

Collaboration and Information Sharing

Let’s say your healthcare organization or practice experiences a threat. It’s unfortunate, but it happens.

If it does, you absolutely must share any useful information regarding the threat’s cause and impact with other healthcare organizations, tech companies and government agencies.

The primary goal of healthcare data security is protecting patient information.

This collaboration is a key step in doing so, even if the patients are yours alone. It’s a community effort to keep all patients’ sensitive information safe.

Sharing and collaborating also boost the overall strength of Washington’s healthcare data ecosystem.

Find a Way Forward With CMIT Solutions of Bothell

Balancing accessibility and privacy in healthcare data security is an ongoing challenge. It requires continuous effort and adaptation because cyberthreats are always evolving.

So don’t neglect help or hesitate to reach out for it.

IT experts like us at CMIT Solutions of Bothell specialize in these areas and many more for healthcare professionals:

Data security
Data recovery
Data breach prevention
Cyberthreat monitoring

Contact us to learn more about our services and how we can help you stay compliant with regulations and resilient against threats. We’re eager to be part of your patient data protection strategy.

Featured image via Unsplash

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