What should employees do with passwords used to access medical records?

Employees should keep passwords confidential and not share them to ensure the security and privacy of medical records. This practice is integral to safeguarding sensitive patient information, which is mandated by regulations like HIPAA. Sharing passwords increases the risk of unauthorized access, potentially leading to data breaches that could expose sensitive health information. By maintaining the confidentiality of passwords, employees contribute to a culture of security within the healthcare environment, ultimately protecting both patient privacy and the organization’s compliance with legal requirements.

The other options pose significant risks to data security: sharing passwords undermines individual accountability, changing them infrequently may not address emerging security threats, and writing them down in a public space exposes them to anyone who might see them, creating further vulnerabilities. Keeping passwords confidential is the best practice for protecting medical records and ensuring compliance with privacy regulations.