How to Conduct User Access Reviews in Healthcare Organizations

Healthcare organizations deal with highly sensitive patient data, making cybersecurity and compliance top priorities. One of the most essential practices for maintaining data integrity is conducting regular user access reviews. These reviews help ensure that only the right people have access to the right information at the right time — and that former employees or role-changers no longer have inappropriate access.

In this article, we’ll break down the process of user access reviews in healthcare settings and show how identity governance and administration can simplify and automate the process.

Why User Access Reviews Matter in Healthcare

Healthcare providers are frequent targets of cyberattacks due to the valuable nature of health data. Beyond external threats, insider risks — whether accidental or malicious — pose serious concerns. An employee with unnecessary access to patient records could lead to HIPAA violations, data breaches, or costly lawsuits.

User access reviews help mitigate these risks by providing visibility into who has access to what systems and data, and why. Regular reviews also support regulatory compliance with frameworks like HIPAA, HITECH, and NIST 800-53.

Step-by-Step Guide to Conducting User Access Reviews

1. Inventory All Systems and Applications

Begin by identifying all systems, applications, and databases that contain protected health information (PHI). This includes electronic health records (EHR), patient portals, billing systems, and more.

2. Define User Roles and Access Policies

Clearly define roles such as doctors, nurses, billing clerks, and administrators. Each role should have specific access privileges based on the principle of least privilege. This prevents over-provisioning and limits the risk of exposure.

3. Pull Access Reports

Generate detailed reports showing who has access to what systems and data. This should include current employees, contractors, and third-party vendors. Look for dormant accounts, inappropriate access levels, and inconsistencies with assigned roles.

4. Engage Department Heads or Managers

Share access reports with department heads or direct supervisors who can validate whether access is still appropriate for each user. They’re often best positioned to know whether an employee still requires certain privileges.

5. Remediate Issues

Take action on any flagged issues. This could involve removing access, updating roles, or correcting permissions. Timely remediation is critical, especially for users who have changed departments or left the organization.

6. Document Everything

Documentation is vital for audit trails and compliance. Maintain records of who reviewed what, when changes were made, and the justification behind access revocations or updates.

7. Schedule Regular Reviews

User access reviews shouldn’t be a once-a-year activity. Depending on your organization’s size and regulatory needs, you may need to conduct them quarterly or even monthly. Automating this cadence helps ensure no gaps in access control.

How Identity Governance and Administration Solutions Help

Manual reviews can be time-consuming and error-prone. This is where identity governance and administration solutions (IGA) come in. These platforms automate key aspects of the user access review process:

• Generate real-time access reports

• Automate review workflows and notifications

• Allow reviewers to certify, reject, or escalate access rights

• Provide dashboards for visibility and compliance tracking

• Integrate with HR systems to detect role or employment status changes

Popular IGA tools also offer pre-built templates specific to the healthcare industry, helping ensure HIPAA and HITECH compliance with minimal manual effort.

Final Thoughts

In healthcare, protecting patient data is not just a technical necessity — it's a moral and legal obligation. Conducting regular user access reviews helps healthcare organizations maintain compliance, minimize risks, and build trust with patients. With the help of modern identity governance and administration , you can make the review process more efficient, secure, and audit-ready.

Need help choosing the right IGA solution for your healthcare org? Let me know — I can help with that too