Privacy-Related Class Action Lawsuits in Health Care: How They Work and How to Avoid Them
High-profile class action lawsuits related to consumer privacy have caused significant financial and reputational damage to some health systems. How can you protect your organization?
// By Ray Mina //
The convergence of technology and health care has been nothing short of a revolution, transforming the way people find, access, and manage everything from routine dental checkups to therapy. But as these experiences go digital, individuals are becoming more conscious than ever about their data security.
Nearly 75 percent of people are concerned about protecting their personal health data, according to the American Medical Association, and those concerns are amplified by news headlines about data malpractice.
As a natural response to this consumer sentiment, the health care sector finds itself at the epicenter of a growing wave of class action lawsuits — a powerful tool to hold health care organizations accountable for sloppy data handling.
In this article, we answer these questions:
- Who can file a privacy-related class action lawsuit against a health care organization?
- Which laws do plaintiffs use to file suit?
- Will the recent American Hospital Association (AHA) lawsuit ruling stop class action lawsuits?
- What happens in class action lawsuits?
- What preventive measures can you take to avoid a class action lawsuit?
- What happens if you ignore the risks?
Class action lawsuits pose major financial and reputational risks. But staying proactive can help you avoid them.