Protecting patient data privacy with enhanced data security in the lab

With the rise of digital solutions like artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things, and machine learning, safeguarding patient data privacy has become a critical concern and one that’s driving advancements in cybersecurity and data management.

As any lab personnel will know, ensuring patient safety is imperative. It’s the reason, after all, why there are so many rules, regulations, and guidelines in place for labs to follow. But, as laboratories adopt more digital technologies, how can you ensure the privacy and security of your patients while navigating the complex regulatory landscape? That’s what we’re here to find out.

From research findings to personal patient information, every clinical laboratory stores vast amounts of data and collects more every single day.^1,2 As a result, it’s vital for labs to not only be aware of the data they have access to but also put data loss prevention programs in place to ensure it’s neither lost nor mishandled.^1,2

Without these patient data privacy procedures, labs could leave themselves vulnerable to potential cyber crime and cyber attacks — a growing issue within the world of healthcare.³ This could have a significant impact on labs both financially and in terms of their reputation. 

As history has proved, failing to deliver complete patient privacy and confidentiality can be “distressing” and have “severe consequences.”³ Back in 2017, for instance, the global WannaCry ransomware attack led to the cancellation of 19,000 appointments due to hospital trusts across NHS England being unable to access any data or deliver medical care.⁴ This resulted in numerous patients missing out on the care they needed and cost the health service approximately $USD 120 million.^3,4

In recent years, there has also been a dramatic increase in data breaches, with hacking incidents accounting for nearly 80% of breaches in 2023 and approximately 133 million records exposed.⁵ Among these were several huge breaches, including one that affected over 11 million individuals, highlighting the potential severity and scale of these threats.⁵

Take a look at our dedicated article on cybersecurity in the lab to hear Bill O’Connell’s take on what healthcare organizations can do to guard against the growing risk of cyber attacks.

One of the key areas in safeguarding patient data privacy is electronic health records (EHRs). Not only are EHRs sharable and accessible from anywhere in the world but they also contain a huge amount of comprehensive and sensitive patient information, including medical histories, diagnoses, and test results. As such, any form of unauthorized access could have a serious impact.⁶

To help prevent this and ensure your lab’s data integrity, it’s important to regularly conduct security audits and tests that comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).⁷ Whether it be a compliance audit, penetration test, or vulnerability assessment, each of these evaluations is designed to highlight any potential areas of concern within your existing data security infrastructure.⁷ They also help ensure compliance with the rules, regulations, and guidelines applicable to your lab while keeping you informed of any policy changes you might not have been aware of.⁷

Penetration tests, for example, can be particularly useful in identifying areas of improvement in EHRs.⁷ These are designed to simulate a cyber attack on your systems and network, ensuring they’re prepared to handle any potential unauthorized threats.⁷

Maintaining the confidentiality of patient health information is not only a legal obligation but it’s also fundamental to ensuring patient trust. Guaranteeing compliance with regulations set by bodies like HIPAA (in the US) and GDPR (in Europe) centers around training staff correctly, conducting risk assessments on a regular basis, and putting protocols in place when responding to data breaches.^2,7

To ensure complete health information confidentiality, there are several key areas you’ll need to consider, including:

• Analyzing your current data hosting setup: To keep your data as secure as possible, you should look at whether your current data hosting option is the right fit for your lab. This involves assessing where you currently store and host the data you use, making sure it’s both efficient and secure. If it’s not, you might want to consider investing in a cloud-based data storage solution instead.¹

• Keeping your lab instruments and devices updated: Many of the devices used in labs utilize networks and involve data sharing, leaving them potentially vulnerable to cyber attacks.¹ As such, it’s important to keep them all up-to-date — whether that be a mobile device, tablet, or wireless research device.¹

• Investing in reliable cyber protection: There has been a growing number of phishing, ransomware, and cyber attacks over recent years, with 2023 the biggest year yet for data breaches.⁵ Therefore, having reliable cyber protection in place is vital. This involves investing in a cloud-based cyber security solution that encrypts all your data, utilizes multi-factor authentication, offers reliable data backups, and establishes clear regulatory-compliant data governance policies.⁸

There is also a psychological aspect to consider when it comes to protecting patient health information. For example, when patients feel comfortable sharing their information, healthcare professionals can gain a clearer picture and make more informed decisions.⁶ However, many patients choose to do the opposite by withholding information or delaying seeking treatment if they have data integrity concerns.⁶ As such, it’s important to put yourself in the mind of a patient when looking at implementing patient data privacy procedures.

Two popular solutions that many labs use to ensure data integrity are electronic lab notebooks (ELN) and laboratory information management systems (LIMS).²

• ELN: An ELN helps to provide lab personnel with a secure platform to record and manage research data.⁵ As its name suggests, its interface is designed to replicate a page in a paper lab notebook, where users can document any lab experiments, research data, observations, or notes more securely.^9,10

• LIMS: Having a LIMS in place helps keep lab data safe by storing it in a centralized location.⁸ By implementing one in your lab, you can automate workflows — such as data entry — integrate instruments, and manage samples and associated information.¹¹ A LIMS is also designed to prevent unauthorized data access, helping reduce the risk of potential data breaches.⁸

In addition to these two systems, AI and machine learning are increasingly being leveraged in various healthcare processes. This is helping to revolutionize lab operations by enabling predictive analytics, improving data analysis, and helping automate certain repetitive tasks and processes.⁸

As clinical labs become more reliant on technological advances and automated processes, it’s essential to make sure you’re prioritizing the safeguarding of patient data privacy.

By implementing best practices and ensuring a high level of data integrity in your lab, you will help to maintain patient trust and, ultimately, deliver a better quality of care. This, in turn, will also bring with it several benefits — ranging from complete regulatory compliance to a reduced risk of costly data breaches.⁷