Encouraging Reporting of Privacy Breaches
If you were the privacy officer in your organization how would you address the following?
b. Encouraging employees to report privacy and security breaches
Working from home in organ transplant can present a lot of potential privacy and security breaches with patient information. One thing my administrators implement during new employee training. Training modules followed by a test at the end of each module. In addition, we devote a day to how to report any data breaches immediately to the company designated security officer. We are encouraged to report any concerns or potential patient information data breach immediately. Real time when the breach has occurred; if we delay or choose to not report and it is found out later we intentionally refused to report appropriately, affirmative action will be taken.
Essentially, we are trained that no affirmative action will be taken if we report immediately (assuming it was never intentional to begin with). Data breaches happen all the time in healthcare at all facilities; knowing the company policy on how to report. A data breach is important and should be offered in a form of continuing education on a yearly basis. Another thing my company does is they will send out fake phishing emails with a link; if we fail to comply and click the link. We are then required to complete education modules and send it into our managers. Moreover, private patient information is vulnerable and is at risk for hackers to gain access.
Encouraging Reporting of Privacy Breaches
As a privacy officer, I would implement continuing education for all my employees and encourage them to always reach out for all questions and concerns without the fear of being reprimanded should a breach occur. A yearly education module would be required for all employees to complete. They would be mandated to take a test following the educational module and submit the test to me for documentation purposes. Continued education on HIPPA and the policy to report data breaches would help enforce a healthy, safe environment and help potentially reduce security breaches. Studies have shown more security breaches occur in healthcare with staff who are not. Educated on HIPPA laws and regulations frequently. APA