Evaluation of Causes and Effects of Breach of Confidentiality of Patient’s Health Information (a Case Study of University College Hospital (uch), Ibadan, Nigeria)

ABSTRACT The research work was conducted to examine causes and effects of breach of confidentiality of patient’s health information in University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for this study. The study population comprises of 160 staff members, encompassing both Health Records Technicians and Officers. A complete enumeration approach was employed for this study. SPSS was used to analyze data. Descriptive statistics such as frequency count, percentage, mean and standard deviation and inferential statistics (Chi Square) were used to analyze each objective and the relationship between variables. The findings of the study revealed strong awareness and commitment to patient confidentiality among healthcare professionals with an overall mean score (x̄ = 3.0). Insider threats, inadequate security measures were seen as major contributing factors. Breaches were found to negatively impact trust, legal standing, patient care, quality, reputation, and satisfaction with an overall mean score of (x̄ = 1.90). The Chi Square anlysis revealed a significant relationship between awareness and breaches of patient confidentiality in UCH, Ibadan (χ2 = 25.333, df = 9, p = 0.002). The research highlights the efficacy of various mitigation strategies in addressing breaches. Respondents largely agreed on the importance of prevention strategies, mitigation measures, staff training, regular audits, and the implementation of security technologies like firewalls and encryption. The study concluded that breach of confidentiality have adverse effects on trust, legal standing, patient care quality, reputation, and patient satisfaction Based on the findings, it was recommended that hospital management should implement comprehensive training programs for healthcare professionals to increase awareness and understanding of patient confidentiality protocols and security measures. I.T department should enhance security infrastructure within healthcare organizations to mitigate the risk of breaches and unauthorized access to patient information. This should involve implementing robust access controls, encryption technologies, and regular security audits to identify and address vulnerabilities.