Patient confidentiality is an essential part of maintaining the integrity of the medical sector and should be followed for the below reasons:

Trust: Medicine is all about trust. Patients disclose very personal information to those in the healthcare industry in the faith that it will only be used to help them. Without trust, people will be less likely to seek help when they need it, resulting in an increased level of illness in the community
Digital hacking: Most patient information is now kept digitally which, while convenient, increases the risk of hacks (the number of reported attacks on health care information has increased by 125% since 2010, according to the Ponemon Institute’s Fifth Annual Study). Losing this information can lead to events of identity theft and fraud which have the potential to damage patients’ lives and livelihoods
Legal disciplinary action: Data breaches and failure to uphold patient confidentiality can result in everything from fines to prison sentences for those responsible. It is best for the profession and those working in it to uphold this ethical responsibility.
5 ways to maintain patient confidentiality
The digital world has revolutionised patient confidentiality. How can you hope to protect information with the growing dependence on online portals and device connectivity?

1. Create thorough policies and confidentiality agreements

Drawing up all encompassing and wide-ranging confidentiality agreements or policies means that everybody on your medical team knows exactly what is expected of them in every eventuality.

A confidentiality agreement is, in its essence, a legal document which specifies exactly what information cannot be shared outside of the working premises. This policy must be read from cover to cover by every staff member and signed. It can also be regularly shared with patients to demonstrate that your organisation upholds strict confidentiality procedures.

2. Provide regular training

People adhere best to policies and practices when they fully understand why they are in place. Holding regular training sessions for all your staff members, from administrators to doctors and nurses, helps to reinforce how essential confidentiality requirements are, and provides a refresh of staff duties and expectations.

For best results, make these training times fun and a good opportunity to learn while getting to know colleagues. Taking a creative approach to the topic and introducing games can also help the information be more engaging whilst also being a positive experience for your staff.

3. Make sure all information is stored on secure systems

As the standard of healthcare improves and populations expand the amount of patient data being stored has increased astronomically. As a result, many practices and clinics may face challenges in correctly storing this information, both in terms of where huge data quantities can be saved, and making the information easily accessible. Alongside these systematic difficulties it is essential that the highest level of security and digital protection is used when storing patient data. Purchasing platforms or using cloud providers that ensure your data is safe is the best way to look after this.

Furthermore it is important that only strictly necessary personnel have access to this data. Levels of password protection that controls access is also worth considering and investing in.

4. No mobile phones

An easy way to eliminate possible threats to patient confidentiality is to strictly limit or remove mobile phones from patient areas. This ensures that no one could either maliciously or accidentally record or photograph private records or information. According to research by Imperial College healthcare NHS trust in London 65% of doctors used SMS to communicate with colleagues about a patient, opening up concerns about privacy.

This can sometimes be a difficult rule to enforce given the proliferation of digital devices. However, regularly reminding staff and patients why it is their best interests can help to reduce any resistance.