Bass, Berry & Sims attorney Lisa Rivera provided comments for an article outlining the home health sector’s vulnerability to a data breach. According to research, data breaches within the healthcare industry as a whole are on the rise. Because of the mobile nature of the home health sector specifically, patient data is often shared remotely which makes it even potentially easier to be attacked. To ward off attacks, Lisa recommends the following:
- Providers should issue – when possible – all mobile devices for the employees to utilize, whether cell phones, tablets and laptops, for all work-related content so that the employer can control security measures placed on the device and ensure encryption. “That on top of added security like multi-layer authentication, strong password requirements and encryptions.”
- To further protect patient information, Lisa recommends providers initially ensure data exists only when and where it needs to be, and have plans and procedures in place to respond immediately to any breach incident. Additionally, data users should be trained and tested routinely to ensure compliance and that safety measures are in place and adhered to.
The full article, “With Data Breaches on the Rise, Home Health Providers Especially Vulnerable,” was published by Home Health Care News on June 27, 2019, and is available online.