Healthcare holds a complex structure with a massive user base and works in correlation with various other sectors like finance. This is why it is mandatory for healthcare centers and providers to precisely collect and accurately verify patient identity. Criminals are using advanced methods to conduct medical identity theft and illegitimately avail benefits.
Hence, to avoid such consequences, the healthcare sector needs robust Know Your Patient solutions. The AI-backed patient verification solutions use technologies like OCR, machine learning, and API to ensure no criminal is illegally trying to access medical records. These services are seamless and involve less time while countering identity theft, data breaches, and failure in compliance. Various types of criminal threats the healthcare sector faces are further elaborated on in the blog.
Which Patient Identity-based Criminal Threats Healthcare Sector Encounter?
Healthcare centers, as regulatory bodies mandate, are required to identify patients before they prescribe or treat them. As per Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), every healthcare provider needs to collect and manage information for identifying patients. However, criminals are advanced enough to dodge these verification checks. According to Shufti Pro News, criminals use software to forge documents and credentials to apply for illegitimate medical benefits. More threats are falling in this category, enlisted below:
Increase in Cyber Attacks
Similar to the rest of other sectors, healthcare is also bringing innovation in its operations. For instance, patients can order their medicine online by submitting their prescriptions and seeking consultancy through audio or video calls. However, these transformations are increasing the chances of cyberattacks.
Healthcare providers are using medical gadgets that hold the records and information of patients. These are becoming the main attraction for criminals because they can commit illicit activities like insurance fraud. Therefore, the healthcare sector needs to verify patient identity while keeping their data secure. For this, they require robust AI-powered identity verification solutions.
High Risks of Security Hacks
While digital transformations have a myriad of advantages, they also have a few downsides. These shifts are opening loopholes for criminals to commit security hacks. Criminals are using technologically advanced software as well to get their hands on information and records of legitimate patients. They do this to avail illegal benefits.
Criminals hide their identities by using fake credentials and forged documents. These threats compromise the security of legit patients. Also, minors are using their elders’ information and documents to buy medicines online which exposes them to fatal consequences. Therefore, the healthcare sector should employ patient age verification along with the validation of their documents.
Medical Identity Theft and Data Breaches
The medical sector is increasingly facing data breaches and medical identity theft. This is because the data is worth a fortune to criminals. After all, they can sell it on the dark web. And, they can use it for their benefits and illegitimate treatments. According to the HIPAA journal, there were over 44 million healthcare data breaches in 2021. This led the regulatory authorities to enforce more strict regulations on healthcare centers and providers. As per the requirements, subsidiaries like drug stores need to conduct ID verification for pharmacies as well as other centers. For this, digital AI-backed identity verification services are the healthcare sector’s go-to solutions.
Patient Identity Verification – Major Benefits for Healthcare Sector
The Healthcare sector is facing various challenges in providing a better experience to patients while keeping their data secure. The major threats include identity theft, data breaches, and cyberattacks. However, healthcare providers can shield their operations by using encrypted patient verification solutions. These are more accurate, convenient, and secure. More of the benefits are discussed later on.
Reduces Chances of Inaccurate and Mistyped Information
In manual data entry and verification, there are increased chances of mistyped or inaccurate information. This lead to damaging concerns like inappropriate treatments and wrong allocation of benefits. Moreover, medical records and case histories are hard to change which is why precautions should be taken in the beginning. Therefore, Shufti Pro Funding indicates that the healthcare sector needs accurate patient verification solutions. This is to keep track of their patients and record authentic information.
Accurately Verify Patients’ Identities
Various authorities like HIPAA and HITECH are established by states to enforce Know Your Patient regulations in the healthcare sector. These acts oblige all medical centers, pharmacies, and their affiliates to verify patients before giving them any treatments. Failure in comparison can lead to hefty penalties.
In a Nutshell
The Healthcare sector is the most exposed to criminal threats. Data breaches and identity theft cause changes in the treatments and expose medical records to manipulations. Therefore, the healthcare sector needs to accurately verify patient identity and their documents during registration. Also, they should incorporate authentic patient verification methods to keep track of their patients and avoid chances of criminal manipulations.
