Patient Privacy and Database Security for Emerging Health Information Techology

The field of health information technology has exploded over the last decade. With new innovations and technologies evolving quickly, government regulations and policies in place to protect patient information have been created as a response to the changing field, instead of as a way to shape the booming health IT field. The policies currently in place to protect patient privacy and secure databases containing protected health information (PHI) are insufficient. Implementing new privacy and big data laws, as well as creating a minimum standard for database security, are just some of the potential ways in which this field can be better protected and regulated. Drawing on patient and physician experiences with patient privacy and database security, this thesis project aims to propose and assess potential solutions to issues in this field.