Digital Photograph Security: What Plastic Surgeons Need to Know.
BACKGROUND
Sharing and storing digital patient photographs occur daily in plastic surgery. Two major risks associated with the practice, data theft and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) violations, have been dramatically amplified by high-speed data connections and digital camera ubiquity. The authors review what plastic surgeons need to know to mitigate those risks and provide recommendations for implementing an ideal, HIPAA-compliant solution for plastic surgeons' digital photography needs: smartphones and cloud storage.


METHODS
Through informal discussions with plastic surgeons, the authors identified the most common photograph sharing and storage methods. For each method, a literature search was performed to identify the risks of data theft and HIPAA violations. HIPAA violation risks were confirmed by the second author (P.B.R.), a compliance liaison and privacy officer. A comprehensive review of HIPAA-compliant cloud storage services was performed. When possible, informal interviews with cloud storage services representatives were conducted.


RESULTS
The most common sharing and storage methods are not HIPAA compliant, and several are prone to data theft. The authors' review of cloud storage services identified six HIPAA-compliant vendors that have strong to excellent security protocols and policies. These options are reasonably priced.


CONCLUSIONS
Digital photography and technological advances offer major benefits to plastic surgeons but are not without risks. A proper understanding of data security and HIPAA regulations needs to be applied to these technologies to safely capture their benefits. Cloud storage services offer efficient photograph sharing and storage with layers of security to ensure HIPAA compliance and mitigate data theft risk.
New Orleans, La. From Louisiana State University School of Medicine and Louisiana State University Health Science Center.
Virginia A
VA
Thomas
Patricia B
PB
Rugeley
Frank H
FH
Lau
D016494:Computer Security; D003219:Confidentiality / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005260:Female; D020408:Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D033181:Information Dissemination / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D008297:Male; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D010781:Photography / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D013518:Surgery, Plastic / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014481:United States