How do you manage Information Security in Healthcare?

Information security has become more important in health institutions in recent years. It is thought that information leaks will increase if necessary, precautions are not taken, especially with technological developments.

ISO 27799, which is called the information security management system in health, was published in 2008. This standard creates an action plan for the protection of sensitive health information by preventing the access of personal information by unauthorized persons.

We should also think of health information systems as platforms that help physicians quickly identify important information in a patient’s medical record, find relevant evidence, and explore treatment options.

Hospitals collect, use and store personal and clinical information. Since health institutions are a serious organizational structure, they should pay more attention to information leakage, information breach, privacy and security settings. Rules, regulations, safety issues and medical laws must be followed.

What are the benefits of using hospital information systems?

According to healthcare professionals, hospital information systems are used to reach more information more easily, to provide better quality medical services, to prevent time loss, to facilitate communication between employees, to make appointments to polyclinic patients and to assign patients.

INFORMATION SECURITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Information is the key to the period we live in and the past, and it is an entity that has a key role in shaping the future. With the increase in electronic applications, sharing, accessing and loss of information are the factors that increase the importance of information security. Developing information technology has made it necessary to ensure information security as well as enabling the reproduction of information and access from anywhere.

In order to ensure information security in institutions, the persons responsible must fully fulfill their duties. Persons should be trained in order to prevent gaps that may occur in the system as a result of non-compliance with the rules. Information security is the effort to create the integrity of the information in a secure way, during the storage, protection and transportation of information in the electronic environment, which is widely used in our age. In order to ensure these stages, institutions should determine the appropriate security policy. These policies are put into practice together with questioning the activities to be used, knowing the limitations, and determining the methods. Information security is the protection process carried out to prevent data from being stored, transported and used without permission. If one of the components of the concept, which has three elements as confidentiality, integrity and accessibility, is damaged, an information gap occurs.

Its main purpose can be listed as follows:

• Protection of data integrity,
• Preventing unauthorized access,
• Protection of privacy and confidentiality,
• Ensuring the continuity of the system.

ISMS is an approach that takes sensitive information under control by ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and accessibility of information in institutions. The information security management system supported by the senior management is made possible by putting it into operation in order to minimize the risk factors. The main goal of the institution is to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and accessibility of the information created in the institution’s structure. Institutions need to manage the process in a planned and systematic way while creating ISMS within their own structure. Preliminary information should be created about what the system will consist of and what its scope will be.

Management information systems is a system created to facilitate management functions that direct managers to the right information at the right time. Information systems differ according to the structures of institutions.

Effective management of information is important in order for information to be sufficient and reliable in institutions. Information management, which is of vital importance in the health sector, must be error-free in this respect.

ISO 27799:2016 health information security management system is a very important standard in international regulations. This standard is a guideline based on the provision of ISO 27001 control substances and compliance with ISO 27002 boards. It is not a one-time system; It is a system that constantly renews itself and is in change and transformation.

Information Security Management System in Health Services

The health sector is a system that processes, collects, uses and stores information. Comprehensive management of information is essential for providing a quality service and effective management. Health services ensure effective management by obtaining information based on a well-planned and comprehensive process. It is an area where information is more sensitive than other institutions. In recent years, the technological system of health planning and valuation has been widely used. Institutions with network-based technology are developed to create information and databases, to enable individuals to access their information and to protect information.

Storing and protecting the privacy information of the patient are the most basic areas. Ensuring information and document security, striving for maximum service, and fulfilling the Quality Standards in Health provide an important competitive advantage for institutions.

Protecting the patient’s psychological and physical privacy requires adherence to confidentiality and privacy. As a result of respect, the issue of confidentiality allows the information between the patient and the physician to not be told to anyone else and to be kept confidential. Encouraging the patient to speak honestly and openly with the bond of trust established between the doctor and the patient is important in the treatment process. Paying the necessary attention to the patients regarding privacy is seen as a factor that increases the satisfaction and the quality of the service provided. The meticulousness of the employees is of great importance in the evaluation of privacy in health institutions.

Today, with the developments in information technology, there may be information theft, information leaking, electronic attacks and internal attacks by the employees of the institution. These attacks also pose a great threat in health institutions. These factors can be reduced by taking precautions.

Errors made in information technologies cause accessibility and security problems to increase. It is possible that there is a major vulnerability, careless configurations, and unauthorized access to information. In this way, information should be changed, destroyed and prevented from being seen.

Information security is one of the areas needed by the health sector.

It is accredited by the authorized accreditation body after the processes of reviewing, maintaining and improving the conditions for the establishment, implementation, operation of the ISO 27001 information security standard are completed. It aims to make the necessary security controls to ensure the adequate level and protect the designed information assets. This standard is generally applicable to all types of organisations, private or public organisations.

The ISO 27799 standard, which is related to the health system, explains how to integrate it into the health system using ISO 27002. To protect ISO 27002 information, physical security measures are taken to prevent unauthorized access, theft and damage.

Conditions Regarding the Implementation of Information Security in Healthcare Institutions

Obtaining ISO 27799 ISMS certification in healthcare services provides the following advantages;

• By having this certificate, you prove the importance you attach to information security and your competence in this regard to your patients, board of directors, legal authorities and all collaborators.
• As you care about personal data security and patient privacy, your patients’ trust in you increases.
• You have a data access policy.
• You have identified who has accessed what data and it is much easier for you to remove that data from access when necessary.
• Employees’ trust in the organization increases and they work more efficiently because they have a privacy policy.