title: Health Information Security in Hospitals: the Application of Security Safeguards.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A hospital information system has potentials to improve the accessibility of clinical information and the quality of health care. However, the use of this system has resulted in new challenges, such as concerns over health information security. This paper aims to assess the status of information security in terms of administrative, technical and physical safeguards in the university hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a survey study in which the participants were information technology (IT) managers (n=36) who worked in the hospitals affiliated to the top ranked medical universities (university A and university B). Data were collected using a questionnaire. The content validity of the questionnaire was examined by the experts and the reliability of the questionnaire was determined using Cronbach's coefficient alpha (α=0.75).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that the administrative safeguards were arranged at a medium level. In terms of the technical safeguards and the physical safeguards, the IT managers rated them at a strong level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to the results, among three types of security safeguards, the administrative safeguards were assessed at the medium level. To improve it, developing security policies, implementing access control models and training users are recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Information Management, School of Paramedicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Esmaeil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mehraeen
authors.affiliation: School of Health Management and Information Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Haleh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ayatollahi
authors.affiliation: School of Health Management and Information Sciences, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahmadi
keywords: Health information technology; Hospital information system; Information security; safeguard; security