VERNON HILLS, IL – While patients trust their doctors to protect their information, 49 percent believe that EHRs will have a negative impact on the privacy of their personal health information (PHI) and health data, according to a national survey.

The survey, which polled 1,000 respondents across the U.S. from Jan. 24-31, was released Tuesday by CDW Healthcare, part of the public sector subsidiary of CDW LLC.

According to the survey, patients not only require that PHI be held securely, but also believe that healthcare organizations are responsible for protecting financial information (86 percent), personally identifiable information (93 percent) and any information provided about a patient's family (94 percent).

[See also: Survey shows how hospitals’ IT uses compare to patients'.]

"The new era of EHR brings with it a whole new set of requirements for healthcare organizations – particularly in the area of IT security," said Bob Rossi, vice president of CDW Healthcare. "Digital files are not inherently less secure than paper files, but they do require a completely different set of technologies, processes and internal policies for protection."

When asked who they hold primarily responsible for the privacy and security of their health information, 84 percent of respondents cited either a staff member at the doctors' office by role, or the medical practice as a whole.
 
"For physician practices, IT security must be a primary part of any EHR," said Rossi.  "Right now, patients trust their doctors more than anyone else to protect their personal information. But like any relationship based upon trust, even one breach can fundamentally change the dynamic."

[See also: Study: Speedy implementation key to reducing EHR costs for docs.]

For survey respondents who were notified of a breach of their personal data from any business or organization in the past, 33 percent changed their relationship with the offending organization, including 9 percent that severed the relationship, 12 percent that reduced spending and 12 percent that no longer trust that organization.

CDW Healthcare has identified four preliminary steps for healthcare organizations to aid in boosting their security profile:

1. Execute an IT security assessment. Many healthcare organizations do not know the current state of their IT security infrastructure. Fewer still know what constitutes an adequate profile. Healthcare organizations need to work with a trusted partner to secure a baseline understanding of what their security profile looks like today.
2. Start with the basics. Notably, 30 percent of physician practices state that they do not use antivirus software and 34 percent do not use network firewalls. At minimum, healthcare organizations need to immediately implement steps to meet reasonable security standards.
3. Protect your investment. As healthcare organizations consider the transition to EHRs, they have the perfect opportunity to implement IT security practices tailored to their solution. This not only protects a sizable investment in technology, but also ensures that as patient data goes digital, security protections are already in place.
4. Start now; reassess often. IT security is not a one-time fix. Though the EHR transition is a perfect time to initiate tighter IT security controls, all healthcare organizations need to consider their IT security profiles and should consider conducting an assessment at least once a year.

A full copy of CDW Healthcare's Elevated Heart Rates: EHR and IT Security Report is available here.