Technology is the central element in the modern hospital. It empowers teams to communicate during busy working schedules. It facilitates the transition of data to and from billing companies. It also supports medical teams in administering effective care to all patients who visit the facility. But the leading systems can bring their fair share of challenges to facility staff. And in this latest post, we’ll examine technology challenges in greater detail as we explore the role of technology in today’s medical care facility.
HIPAA Compliance
The latest HIPAA regulations require medical organizations to implement strict controls over data and use high-performance encryption technology to minimize the chances of a data breach. This is often difficult for smaller organizations without the technical resources or the financial capacity to manage the data storage process effectively.
Mobile Health and BYOD
Mobile and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) trends in health care have given the consumer more flexibility in how they manage their health choices and their personal data. But in communicating with their patients, care teams must implement mobile access management tools that are often costly and complex. These tools also require day-to-day management to minimize technical issues and security breaches.
Wireless Networking
While wireless networking has given teams throughout the facility a greater ability to collaborate and control data, it has also increased the openness of hospital data systems. Now, a single person with a device can walk into the hospital, access their network and try to attack their network infrastructure. This means growing organizations must implement security protocols designed to safeguard the network and all user data.
Meaningful Use
The meaningful use of EHR is now tied to Medicare reimbursement levels, and organizations unable to prove meaningful use based on the latest standards face reduced reimbursement. The challenge for care teams is implementing electronic records while safeguarding data and supporting patient access. This is a problem for many organizations throughout the industry, as data sharing provisions are enacted to help support the dissemination of health information, while the onus remains on the care provider to manage data security.
Engagement with Patients on Technical Challenges
Engagement with patients is required to ensure they understand the value of security in the modern healthcare marketplace. With patients entrusted in storing their health records on smartphone applications and other devices, patients are now an important stakeholder. Applications enable patients to track their health objectives, but without the optimal security protocols in place, their data remains at risk.
By knowing more on the technology challenges facing healthcare providers, teams can take a proactive role in mitigating these challenges and empowering the effective and secure use of the latest systems. To learn more about the challenges and opportunities relating to the latest healthcare technology, call our experts directly today.
