Hipaa Security Rule Compliance in Small Healthcare Facilities: A Theoretical Framework

The protection of personal information is an area of growing concern for individuals, organizations, and governments. Threats to information security in the healthcare sector carry additional risk since not only are patients' identities and financial information at risk, but health data is at risk as well. The exposure of sensitive information can cause financial hardship, mental anguish, and in healthcare, lead to social stigma and impacts on medical decisions and treatment Health information is protected through federal regulation yet many healthcare facilities struggle to meet those requirements due to a variety of factors. This paper presents a theoretical framework of potential drivers of (non)compliance behaviors that may increase understanding of the barriers that small facilities face. The framework and propositions are presented.