Registered Nurses ‘Happy’ With PHI Security According to University of Phoenix Survey
The results of a recent survey completed by the University of Phoenix College of Health Professions indicates registered nurses (RNs) are of the belief that their organization’s ability to prevent data breaches is of an acceptable level.
The survey was transmitted to 504 permanent RNs and administrative workers across the USA. Respondents had held their position for a minimum of two years.
Just under half of RNs (48%) and 57% of administrative workers said they were very confident that their organization could prevent data breaches and safeguard against the theft of patient data, even though 19% of administrative workers and 20% of RNs said their organization had experienced a data breach previously. 21% did not know if a breach had been experienced.
The survey showed that healthcare groups have made many changes over the years to better safeguard data and patient privacy, with most of the changes happening in the past 12 months, according to a quarter of RNs and 40% of administrative workers.
Those changes have happened across the organization. The biggest areas for change were security, quality of care, population health, data security and the digitalization of health data and files.
67% of RNs said privacy and data access policies were being adapted to better protect patient data, while data surveillance was an initiative to enhance data privacy and security according to 56% of those questioned. 59% of RNs said their organization was adapting role based access to medical records.
69% of administrative workers who took part in the survey said privacy and access policies were being refreshed, 60% said their organization was adapting role based access, and 55% said data surveillance was a major area being concentrated on.
Privacy and security education is being given to RNs and administrative workers, although 34% of administrative workers and 23 of RNs do not recognize the benefit of such education; however, 50% of administrative worker respondents and two in five RNs felt they could learn from further training on this topic.