Safeguarding your protected health information

April 15th, 2018

Recently, in the news there have been several security breaches with large companies ranging from social media to finance and healthcare websites.  These incidences were mainly inappropriate release of names, addresses, dates of birth, and social security information.  Something you may not think about as being just as important is your health information but I would argue information about diseases you may have or even your personal habits (alcohol, tobacco use, etc.) are just as valuable and can be used against you if stolen.

Here are steps to secure your healthcare information.

• Do not email your healthcare providers.  Email is not considered a secure way of transmitting your protected health information (PHI).  Email should be assumed as “hackable” and anyone can gain access.
• Check if you medical office has a portal.  These are password protected channels of communication that provide a secure way of sending messages to your medical provider.  They also usually offer the ability to request refills on medications, check your lab results, and schedule appointments.
• Shred all medical office bills/lab results after you are done with them.  Do not place them in trash or recycling bins.  Better yet, throw them in with food waste such as coffee grounds.
• Oftentimes, insurance ID numbers are the same as social security numbers.  Be sure that you are not giving these out to medical offices too often.  Name and date of birth are usually sufficient as patient identifiers.
• Avoid posting your health information on social media websites. Given the recent issues with Facebook, we should all be more careful about posting on these sites.
• Be careful about apps which help you “track” your health.  When you use some of these, you may be allowing them access to more than just how many steps you’ve taken or what you’ve eaten.