Biometrics in Healthcare
Biometrics in Healthcare |
Samantha Daily
1/24/2013
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Introduction
Dialog has already started in the healthcare industry regarding the right to healthcare. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared “every country has become party to at least one human rights treaty that addresses health-related rights.” (World Health Organization, 2013) In 2009, to meet this declaration by the WHO and to improve healthcare delivery in America, President Barack Obama passed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Passage of the PPACA afforded the US Government the ability to advance health information technology (HIT) and implement electronic health records (EHR), patient health records, and electronic prescribing. (Brown, 2012) A step towards implementing EHRs in medical practices was to incentivize providers to start using an EHR and use it in a meaningful way. According to the National Center for Health Statistics in 2011 “54% of providers had adopted an EHR system.” (Barrett, 2011) With an increase in patient electronic records there is a greater awareness of the need for security.
Current Security Issues
Keeping patient data secure is becoming an increasing problem. According to the Department of Health and Human Services in 2011, 67% of investigated reports had corrective actions taken. (Department of Health & Human Services) A majority of those included theft or loss of a laptop. (Center for Democracy & Technology, 2011) Just this year, there have been 16 breaches in the medical/Healthcare sector alone with an estimated 124,680 patient records exposed. (Identity Theft Resource Center, 2013) The largest facility exposed approximately 57,000 patient records. In in 2008, Providence Health and Services was fined $100,000 for compromising protected health information of approximately 386,000 patients. (Diana Manos, 2008) With these types of statistics, it’s not surprising biometric security is being considered as a possible
Samantha Daily
1/24/2013
|
Introduction
Dialog has already started in the healthcare industry regarding the right to healthcare. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared “every country has become party to at least one human rights treaty that addresses health-related rights.” (World Health Organization, 2013) In 2009, to meet this declaration by the WHO and to improve healthcare delivery in America, President Barack Obama passed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Passage of the PPACA afforded the US Government the ability to advance health information technology (HIT) and implement electronic health records (EHR), patient health records, and electronic prescribing. (Brown, 2012) A step towards implementing EHRs in medical practices was to incentivize providers to start using an EHR and use it in a meaningful way. According to the National Center for Health Statistics in 2011 “54% of providers had adopted an EHR system.” (Barrett, 2011) With an increase in patient electronic records there is a greater awareness of the need for security.
Current Security Issues
Keeping patient data secure is becoming an increasing problem. According to the Department of Health and Human Services in 2011, 67% of investigated reports had corrective actions taken. (Department of Health & Human Services) A majority of those included theft or loss of a laptop. (Center for Democracy & Technology, 2011) Just this year, there have been 16 breaches in the medical/Healthcare sector alone with an estimated 124,680 patient records exposed. (Identity Theft Resource Center, 2013) The largest facility exposed approximately 57,000 patient records. In in 2008, Providence Health and Services was fined $100,000 for compromising protected health information of approximately 386,000 patients. (Diana Manos, 2008) With these types of statistics, it’s not surprising biometric security is being considered as a possible
Cited: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2012, October). AHRQ Patient Safety Net. Retrieved January 23, 2013, from Patient Safety Net: http://www.psnet.ahrq.gov/primer.aspx?primerID=18 Barrett, C Brown, C. L. (2012). Health-care Protection and Biometric Authentication Policies: Comparative Culture and Technology Acceptance in China and in the United States. Review of Policy Research, pp. 141-159. Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). Health Informaiton Privacy: HHS. Retrieved January 22, 2013, from HHS.gov: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/enforcement/data/historicalnumbers.html Diana Manos, S Federal Trade Commission. (2012, August). Consumer Information. Retrieved January 23, 2013, from Federal Trade Commission: http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0171-medical-identity-theft Identity Theft Resource Center Rick Kam, P. &. (2012, February 08). News: Government Health IT. Retrieved January 23, 2013, from Government Health IT: http://www.govhealthit.com/news/glimpse-inside-234-billion-world-medical-id-theft World Health Organization