Hospitals are always a haven for people seeking medical treatment as well as for its employees. However, cases of medical identity have been reported and seem to be occurring more often. Identity theft is the stealing of patient medical information. Patient health information has which is stolen is used in the black market to commit insurance fraud, illegal acquiring of pharmaceuticals and even in the obtaining of medical care from health programs like Medicaid and Medicare. Hospitals suffer financial losses from such theft cases. Identity theft can also occur in the hospital record system leading to confusion of patient information and resulting in inappropriate health care, misdiagnosis and treatment delays (Andrews, 2008).
The first step I would take as a hospital director in dealing with the issue of identity theft is to ensure that security is guaranteed in storage methods of patient medical data. I will seek the support of the hospital management in the provision of finances necessary to buy health information technology equipment that will aid in the prevention of medical identity theft. This step will strengthen the data security system of the hospital and guarantee the safety of patient information (Newman & McNally, 2005). Regarding the storage of patient information, I will ensure that only relevant information is kept. Any sensitive information like social security numbers is not necessary and does not need to be stored with any other medical data but should be disposed of when no longer needed. Patient staff should also be instructed not to share any information about patients with the public because this may lead to identity theft.
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I will also ensure that this problem is prevented through responding to any concerns and issues appropriately. As a hospital director, I will see to it that an inventory system is available to help identify any security breach and point out any areas of vulnerability in the hospital records (Solove, 2002). I will then set up an advisory committee that will handle any situation that pertains to the security of patient medical information following the inventory process. This team will also help in any decision making process that involves risk reduction and protection of sensitive information. The other measure I would employ to prevent identity theft in my hospital is to ensure that patients are educated about this issue so that they can keep their medical information safe. I will ensure that statistics are shared with patients and any suggestions welcomed.
There is one instance where identity theft occurred in my hospital. This issue was about a senior man whose information had been mistaken with that of another patient. The confusion in patient records led to the wrong prescription of medical drugs and the senior man suffered from serious side effects. On coming back to the hospital for a checkup, the hospital staff in charge of his case realized the situation, and I was quickly alerted. We made sure the patient was treated well and compensated. I then issued a general review of all the records to check for any such weakness. This process led to the correction of any mistakes in the health records system and saved the hospital form unwarranted problems.
References
Andrews, M. (2008). Medical identity theft turns patients into victims. US News.
Newman, G., & McNally, M. M. (2005). Identity theft literature review.
Solove, D. J. (2002). Identity theft, privacy, and the architecture of vulnerability. Hastings Lj, 54, 1227.
