The First Thing Dentists Should Do To Stop Identity Theft

Dentists need a first line of defense against identity theft in their practices. For many of them, according to Pat Little, D.D.S., that should be a reputable IT provider. Little is the CEO and Founder of Dental Risk Concepts and Prosperident, two organizations dedicated to keeping dental patient data secure and stopping embezzlement in dental practices. In this clip, Little explains why you need to contract with a reputable IT company to manage your dental practice.

Interview Transcript (Modified for Readability)

“In my opinion, one of the best things a dentist can do right off the bat is be willing to team up with a reputable IT company. Unless the dentist is an expert in computers — and most dentists aren’t. We go to dental school to learn to be dentists. It’s going to be very difficult to maintain proper computer security without an expert.

I would absolutely advise against letting someone on the team be the IT tech, or have a team member’s spouse or a child handle it. If you ever have a disgruntled employee that leaves and they have any kind of contact with that computer system, they could have the ability to breach the data, once they leave.

RELATED: More Advice from Pat Little, DDS

· Dentist Puts Lid on Fraud and Embezzlement

· Why Dental Charts are Especially Appealing to Identity Thieves

Even though it might cost a little bit of money, I would sign a monthly contract with an IT company. Make sure they are willing to sign an associate agreement for HIPAA to help protect the doctor from HIPAA as well as from identity theft. And while there’s no guarantees, I would start with an IT tech because they are worth their weight in gold.”

Discover more Dentist’s Money Digest® videos here.