Abstract
M.Tech. (Radiography)
The Radiology Information System and the Picture Archiving and Communication System have contributed to improved patient care by eradicating delays in the clinical management of patients. This is achieved by permitting access to instantaneous radiology interpretations and secondary consultations; creating a basis for teleradiology and reducing storage costs by replacing conventional archives with cheaper digital storage. However, the former has attributed to the recent rise in confidentiality breaches involving medical data in the United States of America. Yet, reports of this nature remain unknown in the South African context. Breaches by authorised users remain an under investigated issue and continue to threaten the confidentiality of data. This assumption was employed as the conceptual basis for this study while, the Theory of Planned Behaviour was utilised to generate probable causes of deviant behaviour. A sample of health professionals (n=115) and information technologists (n=2) was drawn to collect data. The extent of compliance was expressed as a percentage error of the discrepancy between the observed behaviour and the regulations stipulated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The independent variable (work practices) were categorised into access restriction, intrinsic security measures and the actual breach incidences. The non-parametric Chi-Square test was used to calculate statistical significance the correlational extent of which was determined using the phi coefficient. Both Research Settings indicated poor compliance (percentage errors of 67.3 and 70.37) with the mandated regulations. The study provides insight about the confidentiality status within the South African context. This is the kind of information sought by regulators to aid keep pace with the rapid advances in Information Technology.