As a business, you are responsible for ensuring the safety and security of all of your data. HIPAA laws require you to perform risk analysis and implement measures to reduce the risk and vulnerabilities found. 

The requirement applies not only to your in-house data, but to every software program and system you use, third-party vendors included.

Texting is no longer a fad; it’s a way of life. It’s one of the fastest, easiest ways to connect with the people most important to you. So naturally, it’s crept into the business world too. 

Why not text your clients and customers a quick message about an upcoming appointment? Why not answer messages with short answers? While that may be just part of doing business in some industries, it’s not quite as simple in the medical field.

“We’ve been hacked.”

That’s something no company director wants to hear. But in the medical industry, it can be even more severe. Data breaches can be costly; HIPAA violations add a whole other level to the costs. Over $19 million was paid out in HIPAA fines alone in 2017, with fees already reaching $8 million in 2018.

Of course, money isn’t the only thing you can lose in the process.

Ever since the concept of the electronic health record (EHR) program made its way into our modern healthcare system, the term “patient engagement” has grown right alongside it. It doesn’t make sense to have one without the other. 

Patient engagement involves building a system that allows a patient to manage his or her own health.

How strong is your IT security policy? Do you have the confidence your policies could stand up to a major attack? Most organizations do … until the unthinkable happens. 

You walk in and boot up your equipment, ready for another day at the office. But as different pieces of equipment warm up, you notice something is wrong.

In the 21st Century Cures Act, interoperability is defined as the ability of different information technology systems and software applications to communicate and exchange data with ease. Then once the data moves between various applications, it should also be used with ease without any special effort on the part of the user.

Think back for a moment about your life in the healthcare system. Over the years, you’ve visited a lot of different medical practitioners for a variety of different things. You’ve seen:

A general practitioner for general care
Specialists for specific problems along the way
An x-ray technician when you thought you broke your ankle
The lab when your doctor requested blood work
A pharmacist to pick up your medication
An ob-gyn when you started your family

In and out you’ve weaved through medical facilities and doctors offices as you worked hard to stay as healthy as possible.

IT teams have a lot of challenges on their hands today. But I don’t have to tell you that. You’re battling them all the time.

What makes it even more strenuous is the speed at which new technology is being developed. Has your organization adopted AI? Or how about the Internet of Things: Are your medical devices becoming smarter every day?

The average healthcare organization now uses more than 900 different cloud-based services throughout their practice.

What do healthcare facilities worry about right now in 2018? According to a report put out by the ECRI Institute, one of the most significant concerns involves workarounds.

Workarounds occur when a staff member needs to get something done and doesn’t have the right tools or authority in place.

In 1950, the most popular names in America were James, Michael, and Robert for males, Mary, Linda, and Patricia for females. Now lets pair those names with a popular surname such as Smith, Johnson, or Williams. Do you have a few patients with any of those names? Turns out, it’s causing a growing problem in healthcare organizations.