Technology continues to play a major role in healthcare, especially as it has become more prominent. Through technology, the healthcare industry has been able to stabilize costs, improve access, and personalize care delivery—challenging concepts in years past. That said, these innovations come at the cost of potential issues with data privacy… issues that become more prominent as technology becomes even more advanced.
How Technology Fuels Healthcare
Not only has technology revitalized and revamped old, outdated systems and delivery methods, but it has also provided the following positive changes:
- Faster access to medication – Digital systems have bridged the gap between pharmacies, doctors, and insurance companies, allowing patients to obtain the requisite prior authorization through a more streamlined process.
- Smarter medical devices – Electronic medical records (EMRs) and systems that utilize them are prevalent in doctors offices and hospitals around the world, allowing doctors to share records in secure, cloud-based environments and achieve a higher quality of care.
- Better predictive capabilities – With more powerful technology, healthcare organizations can predict outbreaks of contagious diseases and address them before they grow in size and scope.
Data Privacy is Hard
Even with greater technology, data privacy continues to be an issue.
Part of this is because of the sensitive nature of personal health information, or PHI, and the increasing issue that is cybersecurity. Healthcare providers need to stay on top of their software updates, as cybercriminals could easily take advantage of them between their release and their implementation. There is a lot to be excited about regarding healthcare tech, but all good things come with a price.
To address this issue, healthcare organizations are investing heavily in cybersecurity.
Newer, more updated systems go a long way toward preventing security issues. With more advanced security measures, healthcare technology can flourish in ways that it otherwise would not. Furthermore, efforts like the push by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to establish clear guidelines for cybersecurity and healthcare systems and their related endpoints highlight the importance of security in a technologically advanced world.
Other innovations, such as blockchain and AI, offer opportunities for enhanced PHI security—but whether or not they yield results will depend on how much organizations want to invest in them.