Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 6
Is Your Automated Healthcare
Information Secure?
Mhamed Zineddine
AlHosn University, UAE
ABSTRACT
Information security issues are a serious matter that organizations from all industries have to deal with.
The healthcare industry is no exception. Personally identifiable healthcare information automated by the
healthcare industry can be stolen, intercepted, altered, and misused. Acceptable safeguards, therefore,
have to be in place in order to ensure the privacy and protection of this information. Without governmen-
tal intervention however, it seems unlikely that the healthcare industry will voluntarily implement such
safeguards. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) security rule has emerged
and been mandated by Congress from the need of such intervention. The quantitative investigation in
this chapter is aimed at determining if covered entities in Washington State are HIPAA security rule
ready after two years from the compliance deadline, and if the factors identified through the literature
review are a hindrance to HIPAA security rule compliance. This research study revealed that HIPAA
Security Rule full compliance is far from achieved; many factors have emerged as impediments to the
compliance process, and the way to compliance is complex and costly. Tracking the compliance progress
within healthcare institutions in Washington State over the last five years revealed that the reaction to
the HIPAA Security Rule was strong around the mandated date; the response after the mandated date,
however, has been weak. Covered entities should brace themselves to the new level of enforcement due
to the recent American Recovery Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
INTRODUCTION
differentiation, quality improvements, and process
automation and improvement. IT affects the entire
spectrum of retail, manufacturing, and service
companies including healthcare institutions.
Nowadays, organizations operate in a dynamic,
fast-changing environment due to a number of
Information Technology (IT) has become a core
part of every business. As Bruce (1998) explains,
IT has become a salient enabler of business strate-
gies in areas of mass customization, competitive
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