By Amy Dingus
I am not a “bad actor” but if I was I would attend an HCCA conference. Why?
The access to PHI and PII that is freely available during most sessions. Over the course of the last couple of days I have had the opportunity to view multiple Attorney/Client Privilege emails, EMR and notes that include sensitive information. Over your shoulder as you sit in front of me, on your laptop that you have open for all behind you to see and the notes you have left in session rooms holding your place with way more information than I even keep in my locked files at work.
Yes, if I was a “bad actor” I would have acquired a treasure trove of data and sensitive patient information that I could have used maliciously.
BUT, I am not a “bad actor.”
I am a colleague, a member of HCCA and a Compliance and Privacy Professional. I live and work in the circle of integrity that HCCA is committed to.
Please, my fellow colleagues, keep in mind there may be a “bad actor” anywhere. I may not be one but are you sure the person next to you is not?
Thank you for reminding all of our colleagues of this VERY important fact! The same goes for other places you might be viewing your sensitive information en-route to and from the conferences – or anywhere for that matter!!!
I love this comment. I also see lots of attorney client privileged documents when I commute on the LIRR. People, put your privacy screens on your laptops please!
Great point.
I travel a lot for SCCE and HCCA meetings, and I am consistently shocked at the practices I see. Companies spend a fortune on complex methods to secure the data on their servers, while their employees pop their screens open on planes or at Starbucks or chat loudly about confidential issues.
And now with WiFI on airplanes, I wonder how many more secrets will be compromised as the unintended consequence of trying to be more productive.
Privacy screens only go so far. We need to let people know that getting the work done, shouldn’t come before protecting confidential data.
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