Although 85 percent of small healthcare facilities feel their IT systems adequately limit the risk of a data breach, one-third of those facilities spend no more than 10 percent of their IT budget on protecting patient data, according to a survey conducted by CSID, a fraud detection technology provider.
The survey also found 16.7 percent of small healthcare facilities are concerned about losing patient data in the event of a breach, and 28.6 percent have a crisis plan in place.
"With the rise of electronic medical records, one weak link can be devastating for the whole system," said Joe Ross, president and co-founder of CSID. "This survey shows that smaller healthcare facilities may not have adequate resources or know-how to protect patient data, potentially putting these entities and their patrons at riskā¦It is going to be increasingly important for all healthcare facilities to proactively protect against medical data theft by implementing stronger security protocols and having a breach plan in place."
More articles on data breaches:
Georgia's mental health department reports stolen laptop
Health IT boom fueling medical identity theft
Calif. revises data breach reporting requirements