Data protection requirements present the healthcare industry with an unusual dilemma. Given the intensely personal nature of patient records, healthcare providers have legal and ethical obligations to maintain the privacy of that information. At the same time, however, sharing clinical data about diagnoses, treatment plans, tests and prescriptions with other providers is a necessary component of effective healthcare.
As we discussed in our last post, the healthcare industry is being relentlessly targeted by a range of cyberattacks due to the inherent value of the sensitive data it collects, processes and stores. These attacks not only put extreme financial pressure on the industry, but also create daunting risks to patient privacy and health.