For all of the benefits of chiropractic EHR software for efficiency and accessibility — both for patients and medical professionals — the shift towards digitalization is not without its risks. In addition to concerns that EHRs may be targeted by hacktivists and other cybercriminals, indiscernible data management systems, poor training and simple mistakes can put this highly sensitive information in the wrong hands. 

Recently, Healthcare IT News stated that the EHRs of 187,533 clients of Indiana's Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) had been compromised in "one of the largest HIPAA breaches reported this year." The HIPAA Privacy Rule was implemented by the federal government in 1996 and amended in 2013.  It is intended to protect the personal medical records of patients by establishing strict guidelines for the usage and distribution of their information by healthcare providers that transmit EHRs. It also stipulates that covered entities must report any breaches involving unsecured protected health information.

According to the news outlet, the FSSA incident occurred when an RCR Technology Corporation employee contracted by the organization "made a computer programming error to a document management system," which caused the private information of thousands of people, including their EHRs, employment details and Social Security numbers, to be erroneously sent to the wrong clients.

Representatives from RCR Tech have issued a public apology for the blunder, while the FSSA noted that it was "ultimately responsible for the safekeeping of that information and regret that in this rare instance some information may have been accidentally shared inappropriately."

The importance of intuitive chiropractic EHR software

In a rush to comply with meaningful use, many medical professionals face the risk of incorrect implementation and other missteps that may compromise the care they can ultimately provide for patients — particularly if the software they rely on is overly complex.

Though cloud computing boasts substantial security benefits for chiropractors, events such as this make it increasingly clear that employees working with these services must be adequately trained using the best chiropractic EHR software. By introducing intuitive, easy-to-use chiropractic management software, chiropractors can make this necessary transition and ensure that their clients' records are accurate and secure. In addition, the time saved by investing in superior software may also enable these professionals to spend more time with their patients, and less time staring at a screen.