Five Security Essentials of Digital Healthcare

Keeping your Mobile Environment Secure

Today, advancements in consumer electronics, like wearables, smartphones, and tablets have the power to give physicians insights like never before. As a result, however, the challenge of securing personal health information (PHI) has become more difficult. This growing number of data points means an increased risk of unauthorized access to patient health information.

Our infographic will walk you through how to:

• Protect your mobile environment
• Leverage the power of mobile health information
• As well as, the essentials of purchasing a mhealth solution

Security breaches most often occur due to inconsistent device security, encryption methods, public cloud services, and employee negligence. In 2014, it was estimated nearly 5.6 billion dollars was spent recovering from data breaches. As a result, nearly 90% of providers nationwide were affected. So, we’ve put together some tips for creating a secure mobile environment:

1. Look for mobile apps & platforms built on a native operating system

Web-based solutions can be appealing, but native applications leverage a device’s built-in security protocols. Either iOS, Android, or Window 8 can support these types of mobile apps.

2. Avoid solutions that allow PHI to be stored to the device.

This may be a case of selecting the mobile device management software that’s right for you, but apps that allow access to hardware controls, like screen capture, expose organizations to added risk.

3. Select tools that compliment your existing security protocols.

Across devices and databases, this is especially important. Look for systems that enhance your current security through unique privacy settings, user permission, and authentication methods.

4. Standardizing mobile data entry and processes will help reduce human error.

When designing a tool to record notes, organizations should avoid unstructured note taking functions. If possible, work with your solution provider to defined notes that can be universally applied to electronic health records.

5. Seek out an “on-premise” technology.

In the case of highly-confidential data, this allows all your information to reside privately inside the firewall. As a result, mobile apps will only work on devices connected only to the client domain, inside the firewall, or through a trusted VPN connection.

Finally, be sure to work with organizations that have gone through the proper HIPAA certification and understands the nuances of handling PHI.