Dec. 21 — A national survey of healthcare IT and security professionals revealed that although IT security budgets have increased at more than half of organizations surveyed, the percentage of an organization’s IT budget that is devoted to securing patient data at these organizations is largely the same as last year: 3 percent or less.

The HIMSS survey, released Dec. 12, also found that fewer than half of the healthcare organizations surveyed—43 percent—have tested their data breach response plan. Respondents that represented hospitals were more likely to report that their organizations had done so, compared with those working for physician practices.

One-quarter of respondents reported that their organizations had sustained a security breach in the past year, according to the report.

Additionally, two-thirds of respondents reported that their organizations had audited their IT security plans, with 74 percent of hospital respondents stating that their organizations had undertaken this measure. And nearly two-thirds of hospital respondents stated that their organizations had a chief security officer, chief information security officer, or other full-time resource in charge of security of patient data.

Publication Date: Friday, December 21, 2012