What is the potential consequence of failing to maintain an audit trail?

The potential consequence of failing to maintain an audit trail is the inability to detect unauthorized access. An audit trail records all activities and transactions involving sensitive data, thus serving as a critical mechanism for monitoring access to protected information. Without an effective audit trail, a healthcare organization cannot adequately track who accessed patient records, when, and what changes were made. This lack of oversight could lead to unauthorized access going unnoticed, compromising patient privacy and potentially resulting in data breaches.

The failure to maintain an audit trail undermines the organization's ability to ensure data integrity and security. It could also hinder investigations into breaches or misuse of information since there would be no reliable record to refer to when assessing security incidents. Maintaining an audit trail is essential for accountability and compliance with regulations, as it provides the necessary documentation to demonstrate that appropriate access controls are in place and functioning as intended.