The healthcare industry needs to protect patient data as it embraces more digital health technologies, including wearables, diagnostic equipment, telemedicine tools, mobile care apps, cloud applications, and data-driven software platforms. While new technology can increase patient accessibility and satisfaction with their overall care, these digital tools don’t come without risks — most specifically to sensitive patient data.
Healthcare information security continues to be a growing concern. A recent Experian article found that hospital networks continue to be a high-risk target for hackers. One of the main reasons is because data is spread over different networks, making it harder to defend than more centralized organizations. The article outlines preparation over prevention as the only way to move forward, which is where intelligent automation comes into play.
Another thing to consider is that interest in securing healthcare data often produces innovation inhibitors. The most secure application is one that exists in a silo and shares no information with anyone or anything. In the past, legacy information security teams would simply deny access or integration requests, citing them as “a data security risk.” For healthcare to move forward, data security must balance protecting systems, information, and privacy with innovation and interoperability across other systems and organizations.
