How the IoT Affects Healthcare
I recently wrote a post for MedCity News about how the Internet of Things is poised to affect the healthcare industry. In “What security worries HIT managers should have about the Internet of healthcare things,” I talk about the evolution of healthcare infrastructure to support a complex array of devices and volumes of data and how this impacts data security and compliance.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the latest disruptive technology trend to throw a scalpel in the works for Healthcare IT management. More devices than ever are being connected to the Internet, operating in the cloud, and sharing information. This creates a lot of data - big data - that has as significant impact on data security.
The list of devices that organizations must support is growing year after year, so in this post I discuss:
- Do healthcare ‘things’ need connectivity? A look at some of the wearable and in-home devices and how they can improve patient care
- What are the security implications of the IoT? Each device creates a gateway that can be exploited. While malicious attacks are not yet mainstream, compliance requires that all devices connected to networks must be managed and secured. And what about when devices such as heart monitors are exposed to these vulnerabilities?
- How will HIPAA and HITECH affect IoT devices? With the cost of data breaches on the rise, and more stringent regulations, one unsecured IoT device could leave your organization open to significant penalties
- When should IT take action? Preparing early for any change is always the safest bet!
Next week I will follow up this post with tips on how you can prepare for and managed all these “things,” but for now you can read my full thoughts on how the IoT impacts healthcare here.
