he frequency of patient data losses at healthcare organizations has increased by 32% compared to last year, with nearly half (49%) of respondents citing lost or stolen computing devices such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones, according to recently published figures from the Ponemon Institute's second annual benchmark study on patient data security. The latest report--2011 Benchmark Study on Patient Privacy and Data Security--estimates that data losses and security breaches cost the U.S. healthcare industry about $6.5 billion. And healthcare organizations face challenges in their ability to stem those losses.
