Health Information Security Needs More Attention. Here’s Why.

The healthcare sector, in particular, was hit the hardest due to COVID-19. The pandemic majorly disrupted the industry in all aspects, from a lack of medicines, ICUs, ventilators, to the spread of false medical information. As most businesses shifted towards online platforms since the onset of the virus, healthcare services also became digitized. According to the new norm, patients can now receive medical consultation online, receive treatments remotely, purchase medicines through web portals, and get examined via real-time video calls. 

But with this ease comes its own set of problems. With more data available over the internet, malware and data breaches have caused havoc throughout the industry. Health information security, therefore, has not only become vital, but necessary for the sustainability of e-medical services. 

Scams That Threaten Health Information Security 

There are numerous scams that fraudsters like to pull to threaten health information security in hospitals and pharmacies. Some of these include but are not limited to:

1. Invoices for Fraudulent Treatment

After breaching a patient’s confidentiality and stealing sensitive information, fraudsters bill the healthcare plan based on fake treatments that never took place. What’s even more concerning is that at times, doctors and nurses are in on the plan for monetary benefit. 

2. Purchasing OTC Drugs

Medical identity thieves bypass health information security measures to purchase over-the-counter drugs. Through stolen medical information, medical drugs are then either sold on the black market or the dark web, paving the way for countless other frauds.

3. Free Treatments

Another challenge healthcare institutions face is that of criminals using stolen patient data to reap the benefits of free treatments. Because of weak health information security measures, imposters are left undetected, causing long-term damage to the financial well-being of the institution. 

The Consequences of Weak Health Information Security Measures

Data breaches, medical identity fraud, insurance scams, all result due to insufficient health information security measures.  The cost of weak internal policies is much more than this: 

• Loss of Health Coverage

Because of medical cams, people can potentially lose their health coverage. Once a criminal has maxed out the limit, health services would be made unavailable for the legitimate patient. This can especially prove to be fatal in case of medical emergencies.

• Credit History is Destroyed

In today’s digital-first world, credit card fraud has become a rather common occurrence. After stealing credit cards from legitimate cardholders, criminals accumulate hefty bills at pharmacies and hospitals with no intention of paying them. Once they are done, the bill is built up as credit. Most of the time, people do not even realize what has been done till a bank starts contacting them for payment. 

• False Records

When fraudsters receive free treatments and gain access to OTC drugs through stolen health data, it appears in the legitimate patient’s medical history. This can prove to be detrimental for the patient, as healthcare service providers could administer incorrect treatments and medicines. 

How Can Health Information Security Be Enhanced?

Because of the profound financial impact of medical identity theft, malware, phishing attacks, and data breaches in health care, health experts are increasingly focusing on healthcare finance to make patient data more secure.

Medical institutions can amend weak health information security measures by implementing the following practices:

1. Ongoing training and awareness of cybersecurity to every member of the organization

2. Encryption of mobile devices used by employees at work

3. Implementation of secure practices for computer usage, including periodic maintenance of software and other operating systems

4. Guarding online portals and databases through firewalls and anti-virus software

5. Hiring third-party KYC providers for patient identity verification, allowing the institution to implement necessary know your patient procedures to weed out fraudsters at the earliest possible stage

6. Online files and folders must be backed up on a regular basis to enable data restoration in case of system malfunction 

7. Access control procedures, such as biometric facial authentication should be used to verify every individual entering the facility 

8. Passwords and PIN codes should be updated regularly to reduce the risk of hacking. For an additional layer of security, biometric verification can be made mandatory prior to accessing any sensitive medical record