Vigilant working with it at small medium enterprises in healthcare

This research examines the challenges that SMEs in healthcare face to ensure security and privacy of data in handling ECRs. Many healthcare providers lack sufficient awareness and practices to protect patient data effectively. Through a mixed-method approach, including a systematic literature review and interviews with employees, eight key themes were identified: Security, Privacy, Trust, Policy, Data Breach, Confidentiality, Ethics, and Safety. A key finding is that employees recognize the importance of privacy and security, but their knowledge is often inadequate. Vigilant working can be defined as a way of handling patient’s data where legal and organizational privacy, security, confidentiality, and ethical rules and procedures are taken into account. It is recommended to develop comprehensive policies with a DPO, implementing strict access control, and providing continous, interactive training for employees. In addition, the use of anonymization and pseudonymization techniques is crucial for protecting patient data. By adapting and implementing these recommendations, SMEs can create a more secure, private, and trustworthy environment for patient care.