Health care providers that experience major data breaches face more than the cost of the breach itself. They also stand to lose customers.
A survey of more than 1,000 adult patients by TransUnion Healthcare found that half of those surveyed would consider switching providers if their current one experienced a data breach. When asked whether they would avoid doing business with a provider that had a breach, 65 percent answered in the affirmative.
When viewed by age, a larger number of young (18-34) respondents said they would switch: 73 percent. Older consumers were far less likely to do so. According to this survey, two-thirds of those ages 55 and older said they'd stick with their provider despite a breach.
Recommended For You
"Older consumers may have long-standing loyalties to their current doctors, making them less likely to seek a new health care provider following a data breach," said Gerry McCarthy, president of TransUnion Healthcare. "However, younger patients are far more likely to at least consider moving to a new provider if there is a data breach."
Among other findings from the survey:
-
76 percent would expect to be notified of a breach within one to three days of its occurrence, with 46 percent saying they should be notified within 24 hours;
-
72 percent said they would expect a breached provider to offer them free credit monitoring for a year following a breach;
-
59 percent said they would expect the breached provider to offer a breach hotline;
-
55 percent said they felt they should be able to view details of the breach online.
"The hours and days immediately following a data breach are crucial for consumers' perceptions of a health care provider," McCarthy said. "With the right tools, hospitals and providers can quickly notify consumers of a breach, and change consumer sentiments toward their brand."
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
