Health Care Affiliates Putting Patients at Risk, Survey Shows

A survey by Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Analytics found that companies that do business with health care providers, such as accounting firms, are unprepared to meet data breach obligations, putting patient privacy at risk.

According to InformationWeek, approximately a third of business associates were not even aware that they needed to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Lisa Gallagher, senior director for privacy and security for HIMSS, says:

The lack of awareness of new federal regulations by business associates coupled with the large number of third parties hired by hospitals to control costs through outsourcing, points to a potential area of concern.