Health data breaches can have a negative effect on an organization's relationship with its customers, according to a survey conducted by the Ponemon Institute, Modern Healthcare reports.
About the Survey
The survey -- sponsored by Experian, a credit bureau that sells identify theft protection services -- examined consumer attitudes and experiences with breaches in various industries, including the health care industry.
The Web-based survey had 2,832 respondents, 708 of whom said they had experienced some type of breach of their personal information.
Possible Effects of Breaches
According to the survey, 62% of respondents who had experienced a breach of their personal data said the incident "decreased [their] trust and confidence in the organization." Forty-eight percent of respondents who had experienced a breach said they were "concerned" about their data, while 40% said they were "very concerned," according to the survey.
Of the respondents who had experienced a breach, the survey found that:
- 39% said the breach might cause them to sever ties with the organization;
- 35% said the breach would not cause them to break ties with the organization "as long as it does not happen again;" and
- 15% said the breach "would or already had" caused them to discontinue their relationship with the organization.
Findings on Health Data Breaches
Among the respondents who had experienced a personal data breach:
- 10% said their medical and health care records were lost or stolen;
- 5% said their health plan provider account numbers were lost or stolen; and
- 3% said their prescription information was lost or stolen (Conn, Modern Healthcare, 6/4).