Few things are more chilling to healthcare professionals than the specter of a data breach. It can be costly, difficult to clean up, and expensive. But how real is the risk? And what steps are healthcare entities taking?

To gain insight into this issue the Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA) conducted a survey in October 2017. The data revealed that only a small minority of reported data incidents turn out to be actual breaches.

While that result is calming, some may find it concerning that much is still widely accessible, with the majority of respondents reporting that all credentialed providers have at least some access to patients’ PHI. In addition, only about half monitor whether PHI for family members and co-workers is being accessed inappropriately.

See full Survey