Healthcare Organizations Going Digital for Covid-19 Testing & Tracking
According to the NY Times, many public and private healthcare organizations are overwhelmed by faxes and paper workflows for Covid-19 testing and tracking and are looking for digital solutions to rapidly scale to meet the exponential growth in demand for their services.
4 Issues & Solutions Affecting Cloud Computing in Healthcare
Over the past decade, the impact of cloud computing on healthcare has made transitioning to it necessary for healthcare providers. In this technological era, things have become fast-paced, and an on-premises healthcare system will undoubtedly cause the industry to lag. According to the 2019 HIMSS Analytics Cloud Survey, 8 out of 10 healthcare stakeholders consider cloud a strategic priority for the coming year and beyond. Its uses range from data backups and recovery to business functions such as organizational finance and human resources.
However, there can be problems with cloud computing, preventing it from being foolproof. Like many modern technologies, certain drawbacks should be considered before implementation. Once you are aware of these scenarios, share them with your IT leaders, to ensure you are best prepared for any situation when it comes time to switch from old physical equipment to a new healthcare cloud architecture.
Rising Data Breaches in Healthcare: A Snapshot
Statistics compiled by Techjury reveal that in the last decade, there have been over 2,550 data breaches in the U.S. healthcare industry, with millions of records being affected. If this is not enough to heighten the level of concern of several healthcare companies, the next statistic will. By the end of 2020, security breaches are expected to cost the healthcare industry 6 trillion dollars. This is a significant increase from the $3 trillion figure projected in 2017.
The COVID-19 Pandemic has Created a Boom in Telehealth Usage
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals have been our most essential resource in terms of battling the pandemic and caring for patients. Walk-in clinics and other healthcare facilities that are not hospitals have had to shut their doors, opting to care for patients through telehealth systems instead. Though we will not know the extent of mass telehealth use and adoption until after economies fully re-open, and the virus is behind us, we can draw safe conclusions to the fact that they have been well widely-used by patients thus far.
How to Prepare for HIPAA Compliance With a Secure Communications Strategy
At the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, many healthcare providers were sent "scrambling" to transition their clinics from in-person to telehealth operations. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) moved quickly to ease regulations for healthcare providers, ridding them of some of the stress associated with meeting certain HIPAA compliance criteria.
Understand and Take Control of Your Risk Management in Healthcare Security
One of HIPAA's most crucial administrative safeguards is the implementation of "policies and procedures to prevent, detect, contain, and correct security violations." This particular safeguard requires a great focus on risk analysis and management, reducing risk, as well as implementing the necessary measures to keep vulnerabilities at a reasonable level.
3 Important Ways to Protect Data in Your Telehealth Practice
Though aimed at being a convenient alternative, telehealth practices must do their best to replicate in-person visits. With that being said, all data being shared between patient and provider is done virtually, meaning that extra precautions should be taken to protect sensitive personal health information (PHI).
Easy Steps to Automate and Improve Your Customer's Telehealth Experience
Healthcare's shift into a digitized industry with telehealth is also becoming a shift into a better customer experience. Historically, patients may receive accurate and excellent healthcare, but at the expense of a high quality customer experience.
However, with the increasingly competitive telehealth market that can now reach further than just the vicinity of a local clinic, doctors must start heavily factoring in customer experience with their telehealth services. There are multiple ways to achieve this, from employing UX/UI designers who enhance hospital and clinic sites or apps to even rebrand your organization's infrastructure in a customer-centric method.
What You Need to Know About HIPAA Compliance During COVID-19
The spread of COVID-19 into North America has left businesses and people scrambling. When it comes to healthcare, people are asking questions like, "What do I do if I am unwell and need to see a doctor?" and "Is my doctor even open?"
For the safety of patients and providers alike, most doctors' offices, which are not hospitals, have had to shut their doors temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many have transitioned to online patient care, better known as telehealth. For providers who may not have had to make this type of arrangement before, setting up this service can be a daunting task, especially if you would like to provide a service that runs smoothly. You can learn more about the tech you will need to get started in Giva's article, "What You Will Need to Set Up a Telehealth Practice: The Essentials".
Roadblocks, Solutions and Benefits of Successful Cloud Integration in Healthcare
Healthcare organizations must remain vigilant to defend against critical IT situations, while always placing the need for increased security, protection of sensitive patient data and meeting regulatory compliance at the top of their lists. Implementing a well-rounded cloud system can help with this and more.
According to a recent NTT Data report on cloud cultures, "nearly 61 percent of organizations in the US and Canada are committed to implementing cloud adoption as quickly as possible." Though when it comes to implementing cloud services, the report notes that cultural change presents the greatest roadblock. This is despite an organization's commitment to moving enterprise applications to the cloud in an efficient manner.