Role of Mobile Computing in Healthcare Management

The use of mobile technology in the healthcare industry has exploded in the last ten years. Mobile health or mHealth, provides an entire new aspect of the relationship between patients and their doctors and other medical providers. Mobile devices place important and critical information into a medical professional’s hands in real-time. Doctors can monitor a patient’s condition more frequently, allowing them to make better and more informed decisions and diagnoses.

Under the HIPAA Security Rule, health care providers are required to conduct an accurate and thorough analysis of the potential risks and vulnerabilities. Protecting the confidentiality, integrity, availability, and privacy of data in health care is very important. For a risk analysis, health care providers would prioritize risks based on the severity of the impact that it would cause their patients and practices (Security Risk Analysis TipSheet, 2014). In addition, identifying the potential threats to patient privacy and security (Security Risk Analysis TipSheet, 2014). A risk analysis process would include determining the likelihood and impact of potential risk to electronic protected health information, implementing security measures to

Securing larger volumes of data than before, health care providers must be able to adapt to new methods of data storage and access of patient records. Security breaches in health care organizations is lost or stolen from unencrypted devices and media where the provider is using to retrieve records. As more health providers continue to use mobile devices to access pertinent information from electronic medical records systems the chances for breach increases so dramatically. (Rogers,

As health professionals, it’s essential to take every precaution to protect sensitive patient information including personal contact information and medical history. Patient data is regulated by the government and provides privacy and security provisions for safeguarding medical information. The law that regulates these processes, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), has become a prominent point of public discussion over recent years due to an onslaught of security concerns and cyberattacks on health providers and insurers.

     Abstract:  Electronic medical databases and the ability to store medical files in them have made our lives easier in many ways and riskier in others.  The main risk they pose is the safety of our personal data if put on an insecure an insecure medium.  What if someone gets their hands on your information and uses it in ways you don't approve of? Can you stop them?  To keep your information safe and to preserve faith in this invaluable technology, the issue of access must be addressed.  Guidelines are needed to establish who has access and how they may get it.  This is necessary for the security of the information a, to preserve privacy, and to maintain existing benefits.

Technology and health care have a relationship that has grown exponentially over time. Not only has advances in technology allowed for more treatments and research into cures for diseases, but it has also created a better patient care in hospitals. This is why nurses need to “Demonstrate effective use of technology to navigate the electronic health record, communicate with inter/intraprofessional teams, and be involved with decision making in the delivery of quality and safe patient care” (Ivy Tech Community College, 2016). A study conducted by (use of electronic) found that the most common thing nurses use now to help plan patient care is electronic health records. What was once a stack of paper in a binder is now streamlined onto a user interface, with easier access to what parts of the chart a nurse would need, compared to having to flip back and forth between pages in a paper chart. Hard to read hand writing on paper charts could lead to errors in patient care; nowadays, electronic charts have information in easy to read fonts with important information sometimes bolded or in different colors, allowing the information to better catch the eye of the nurse to avoid mistakes. (use of electronic) also

The goal is to protect patients through a network of patient safety databases. There’s no doubt that mobile health technology improves patient care, engagement, and physician productivity. But, the security risks are vast.

For example, in Fitbits, users are easily able to access their health data, such as number of steps taken, number of calories burned, etc. In comparison, for pacemakers, patients are often not allowed to access their data at all, thereby restricting access of personal data to just medical professionals and data collectors. When considering that the user in question cannot access their own private data, regulations are imperative in preventing such data from reaching the wrong hands. In this field, medical devices use encryption to deter hackers or other unwanted visitors from accessing sensitive data (Eramo), but as seen from Mark Gasson, it is not guaranteed to work. By infecting an RFID chip in his hand with a virus, Gasson determined that the virus located in his hand was able to infect external systems (Cellan-Jones). Although medical devices proclaim to be secure, the risk of a virus from another piece of technology infecting these devices is high, with extremely serious consequences. It is imperative to continue pressing for answers regarding the secureness of medical devices and push for more knowledge regarding third party servers that may use medical data for reasons other than

In a world full of electronics it would only seem logical to have health records electronic. Not only are medical records efficient, reliable, and quick to access, new technology allow patients to access their own personal medical records with a simple to use login and password. “People are asking whether any kind of electronic records can be made safe. If one is looking for a 100% privacy guarantee, the answer is no”(Thede, 2010). At my hospital, upon every admission we ask the patient for a password for friends and family to have to have if they would like an update on the patient 's condition. We do not let visitors come up and see the patient without the patient 's consent. In doing these things, we help to ensure the safety and protection of the patient 's health information and privacy.

In today’s society, medical records becomes a huge issue. In many organizations such as healthcare, patient confidentiality becomes a high concern. Having internet health services, creates a challenge for compliance in healthcare. Providers have treated application security and infrastructure security independently until now. Access must be secured for clinical applications to alleviate the concern from providers in healthcare. Therefore, IT infrastructure must be protected from hackers, misusing information as well as thieves. (FairWarning, n.d.)

The use of personal devices can benefit the patient and the way nurses care for them. For example, smartphones, laptop or tablets in healthcare settings has the potential to enhance productivity, lower failure-to-respond to patients on time, and increase information access and communications among other healthcare providers. Equally, the use of these devices can also have a negative impact on our patients. Patient safety with the use of personal devices includes the

In today’s age of healthcare, health informatic innovations such as the health information exchange have allowed electronically available healthcare data, such as clinical, administrative, and financial information, to be shared within healthcare systems, hospital networks, and other healthcare settings. As organizations begin to share sensitive information across political, geographical, and institutional boundaries, there is a constant risk of patient data being compromised. Therefore, close attention must be given to confronting the specific problems resulting in an increase in healthcare data breaches, as well as determining the appropriate solutions in order for healthcare organizations to protect sensitive patient data.

The cliche “Big as life” (big, very large) are what the Smartphones has become in today’s society because they occupy our lives, jobs, school, entertainment, and how we communicate. The Smartphone is one of the many technology necessity that makes it easier and quicker to connect with family and friends near and afar. Because there are many opportunities and challenges with the use of Smartphones in the healthcare field not all are beneficial. The lost will be greater than the gain of benefits when patients and healthcare workers well-being and livelihood are being compromised. Even though Smartphones

This research article examines the security concerns of using mobile technology systems in health care institution. Various methods of ensuring privacy and security of patient’s electronic medical information are addressed. This high quality article is relevant for present day mobile security issues. The authors utilize a host of credible references in the health care and information technology fields.

The practice of using mobile devices in healthcare is growing. More than half -- 51% -- of physicians use tablets for professional purposes and 74% use smartphones at work. The mobile monitoring and diagnostic medical devices market will reach $8.03 billion by 2019, compared with a mere $0.65 billion in 2013.