First few Article Sentences
Estimates indicate that close to 1 in 5 hospitals have experienced an information breach in the past six months, and surveys suggest that 1 in 23 individuals have been the victim of identity theft. Compromised personal health information (PHI) is indeed a real risk, and thanks to increased public scrutiny and media attention—as well as direct legal, monetary, and reputational implications—PHI compliance and security often top the list of IT projects for health care organizations.
Fortunately, administering an effective IT compliance program and enforcing PHI security do not have to be onerous when done in orchestration with other initiatives. The most progressive IT departments are working carefully to coordinate EMR implementations, routine security audits, HIPAA and PCI compliance, Red Flag Rules privacy programs, disaster recovery planning, quality control, and ITIL adoption, to name a few. By working on these various efforts in an organized manner, organizations can simultaneously address multiple risks, and do so in a more efficient and economical manner.