We think it's almost akin to a public service to shed a little light on a subject that one health privacy expert says "most consumers are still in the dark about."

Namely, that would be just how precarious the security can be relating to patients' confidential medical information, owing to the negligence of hospitals, doctors and other facility staff members.

A security breach in Connecticut both typifies and underscores the magnitude of the problem. Former state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal filed a lawsuit against insurer HealthNet in early 2010 for its failure to adequately secure the medical and financial data of more than 1.5 million consumers. The insurer simply lost a computer disc containing this sensitive information.

That type of problem has been occurring with increased frequency in recent years, and is stoking the fears and concerns of both privacy advocates and hospital administrators focused on malpractice claims relating to breach of privacy, identity theft and other matters.

Nationally, the scope of such breaches is truly alarming. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Civil Rights (OCR), the private hospital records of more than 19 million people have been reported as breached since September 2009.

Equally concerning is the lack of confidence displayed by medical employees themselves regarding the ability of hospitals and clinics to adequately safeguard confidential patient records. A recent report indicates that less than half of them have faith that medical facilities can protect against all breaches.

The OCR is demanding tighter controls in the area and absolute compliance with privacy rules.

Leon Rodriguez, OCR chief, says that following the requirements is less onerous than what some facility administrators contend.

"When you look at where the breaches are or where the vulnerabilities are, they really are common sense," he says.

Source: USA TODAY, "Data breaches put patients at risk for identity theft," Robin Erb, Feb. 13, 2012