The safekeeping of patients’ medical data is crucial for both the patients and the doctors. The recent ransomware attack on the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) has demonstrated how important it is to have a robust data security system in place. In this article, we will discuss some ways that you can improve the data security of your medical records.
Why is data security for medical records so important?
A recent study showed that a large proportion of electronic health records (EHR) were vulnerable to at least one type of cyberattack. These attacks can result in the loss or exposure of patient data, which can lead to identity theft, fraud, and other privacy violations. Improving the security of medical records is critical to protecting patient confidentiality and safeguarding the financial information of providers.
While there are no magic bullets that can fix all data security issues, there are many suggestions for healthcare organizations to increase their confidence in protecting patients’ medical records.
Password Protection
One of the simplest ways to improve the data security of your medical records is to password protect them. This will make it harder for unauthorized people to access your information. To password protect your records, you can use a program like Microsoft Excel or Adobe Acrobat.
Encryption
Another way to improve the data security of your medical records is to encrypt them. Encryption is a process of transforming readable data into an unreadable format. This makes it difficult for unauthorized people to access your information. To encrypt your records, you can use a program like Microsoft Excel or Adobe Acrobat.
Backup
It is also important to backup your medical records. This will ensure that if something happens to your records, you will still have a copy of them. You can backup your records by copying them to a USB drive, CD, or another storage device.
Cloud Storage
You can also improve the data security of your medical records by storing them in the cloud. The cloud is a network of servers that stores information online and makes it available to those who have the right credentials. Some popular cloud storage services include Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox, iCloud, and Amazon Cloud Drive.
HIPAA compliant file sharing
Lastly, you should use HIPAA compliant file sharing services. These services will ensure that your data is protected when it is being shared with another person or organization. These services are purposefully built for the healthcare industry unlike many other fail safes and ensure that all medical files are secure and keep the HIPAA regulations.
Reformat
Finally, you can improve the data security of your medical records by reformatting them. Reformatting means deleting all the information from your records and then re-entering it. This will make it difficult for unauthorized people to access your information.
Conclusion
Data security is a critical issue for both patients and doctors. In this article, we have discussed some ways that you can improve the data security of your medical records. These include password protection, encryption, backup, cloud storage, and HIPAA compliant file sharing. We hope you find this information helpful.