XYZ, Inc.: A Case Study

During this research, there has been a collection of data that had been connected to the instances of HIPAA violations within the United States. There are various cases that have been reported through patients and employees where very personal medical information has been exposed unlawfully for personal gain. These cases have not only put a company at reputational risk. But these cases can also place a patient and or healthcare company in a terrible financial stipulation. This thesis will include a series of charts and tables that describe the fluctuation of such cases involving different examples of HIPAA violations. Not only will there be data of these instances but there will be illustrations of how both patients and healthcare employees exemplify HIPAA violations. These cases will be verified from an external and internal evaluation. Suggestive protocol will be demonstrated to guide one along to ensure the possibility of another case of HIPAA violation is prevented. Protocols and examples are being credited by diverse information.

In order to minimize the risks for potential privacy breaches, the health information management (HIM) director has to understand all facets of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). This should include conducting an audit of their practices. In this scenario, an audit would have been useful to detect the improper access by the employee sooner. HIPAA uses both its privacy and security regulations to “protect consumer’s health information, allow consumers greater access and control to such information, enhance health care, and finally to create a national framework for health care privacy protection” (Amaguin, n.d.). These privacy and security regulations serve as the “only national set of regulations that governs

Information security and HIPAA policies should cover all the necessary access and control measures needed to secure information system resources and deter, shield and protect the organization from security breaches. The scenario demonstrates that the organizations overall information security posture is poor. The HIPAA, remote access and retention policies within the information management division need to be addressed due to the healthcare organizations legal obligation to ensure the privacy of protected information. Security safeguards can be addressed through vigilance and the implementation logical and administrative access controls. Properly administered HIPAA Privacy and remote access policies would not only help alleviate but quickly identify 3 undocumented accounts with global remote access. HIPAA security standards require any user with access to protected health information have a documented need to

On February, 8, 2011, Ortho Montana, PSC, a healthcare provider submitted a data breach which affected thirty seven thousand people. The type of breach described was ‘Theft’ and information was breached from Laptop. The exact description included in the web description states a laptop which had electronic unsecured protected health information was either lost or stolen. This took place when the laptop was taken to an event by a workforce member.

Under the HIPAA Security Rule, health care providers are required to conduct an accurate and thorough analysis of the potential risks and vulnerabilities. Protecting the confidentiality, integrity, availability, and privacy of data in health care is very important. For a risk analysis, health care providers would prioritize risks based on the severity of the impact that it would cause their patients and practices (Security Risk Analysis TipSheet, 2014). In addition, identifying the potential threats to patient privacy and security (Security Risk Analysis TipSheet, 2014). A risk analysis process would include determining the likelihood and impact of potential risk to electronic protected health information, implementing security measures to

With growing scrutiny in healthcare and a record number of breaches increasing at an alarming rate, healthcare organizations are taking preventive measures in order to avoid breaches and possible fines. However, healthcare organizations are confused on what measures they need to take in order to protect healthcare information

As more healthcare information is stored and transmitted digitally, ensuring that your organization complies with the myriad of federal and state regulations is becoming increasingly difficult. As part of this digital transformation, healthcare organizations are partnering with cloud companies, data processors, and other organizations that must also comply with HIPAA business associate requirements. This has resulted in an increase in the scope of security challenges for healthcare providers and their business associates.

The electronic protected health information (ePHI) gets electronically stored and collected in hard copy form as they secure the information. According to the U.S. Department of health and Human Service Office for Civil Rights (OCR) report, millions of people have been impacted by HIPAA data breaches. Hence, healthcare organizations must protect and secure personal health data now more than ever because of the threats that are associated with information. This would substantially increase the protection of healthcare from cyber threats. Moreover, these people are extremely diverse and the cleverness of their data information must be organized within hospitals. Medical records are in high demand because of the sophistication of the records.

As health professionals, it’s essential to take every precaution to protect sensitive patient information including personal contact information and medical history. Patient data is regulated by the government and provides privacy and security provisions for safeguarding medical information. The law that regulates these processes, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), has become a prominent point of public discussion over recent years due to an onslaught of security concerns and cyberattacks on health providers and insurers.

As lead forensic investigator for XYZ, Inc., my first task in planning to process the potential crime/incident scene at HCC Partners in Life, is how to collect computers involved in the incident scene methodically and thoroughly. First and foremost, I would attempt to ascertain the type of case I am investigating. In this instance, I know that there is a possible breach in the medical records system at HCC. I would need to talk to employees involved in the incident and ask questions. For instance, I would need to know if police (and hopefully not their Information Technology (IT) department) taken custody of any computers,

The department of Health and Human Services protects and guides the health and well being of individuals here in America (Thacker, 2014). They fulfill these duties providing Americans with adequate and efficient health and human services and monitoring services designed to increase the efficiency of care in the health system (Thacker, 2014). One of the services being monitored by the department of Health and Human Services is the electronic health record system, which carries private and vital information of patient’s health record enabling all eligible participating health workers access to these records (Thacker, 2014). A breach of the protective health information of patients in a health organization creates chaos as these are against the health insurance portability and accountability (HIPAA) law (Thacker, 2014). Hence, measure will have to be put in place to determine what caused the breach and how to rectify it to ensure the breach never happens again (Thacker, 2014).

Would Patients with Xerostomia Find Relief if I Introduced the Xlear, Inc. Protocol (Spry Products) to Them?

My team (XYZ Digital Forensic Inc.) have been brought in to investigate a possible breach at HCC Partners in Life My team duty involves analyzing HCC network and database server and PC’s for a potential breach of data.

The rapid changes in technology over the past few decades has left the healthcare industry ill-prepared to operate in today’s environment. Most substantial protections of sensitive consumer information has come as a result of federal regulation, most notably in 1996 with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and 2009 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Protection of information in the healthcare industry has lagged behind all other industries, perhaps because the records aren’t financial in nature or sensitive government information. Implementing simple steps for many organizations may be enough to limit the vast majority of breaches, although a layered, comprehensive security approach should be the ultimate goal for companies.

Read Case 1.9, "ZZZZ Best Company, Inc." in your text. Answer questions #1, 2, and 4 found at the end of the case.