An Examination Of The Healthcare System - 1090 Words

As technology becomes increasingly infused with our daily lives, information security has become a universal concern. An examination of the healthcare system reveals that it is not exempt from the same information security challenges that other organizations face. The use of information technology in healthcare offers significant benefits, such as improved safety and healthcare quality, reduced cost of healthcare, greatly increased efficiency within healthcare operations, and better collaboration among healthcare professionals. However, as provider and patient data are converted into digital form, ensuring information security can become a daunting task. While there has been significant progress, healthcare IT is still in its infancy, and†¦show more content†¦This governing body would be comprised of groups dedicated to specific challenges, and it would oversee a complete and successful implementation of IT and security within the U.S. healthcare system. The healthcare indus try is composed of a multitude of moving parts, and information technology is becoming more and more prevalent. However, as healthcare data and information become increasingly digitized, they become less tangible. No longer will providers be able to solely rely on putting physical documents inside a secure locker and behind a locked door. Digitized information will be stored on servers, accessed by a variety of devices, and transmitted by means of wired and wireless communications. So, what does it take to secure sensitive information, such as patient health records, as it traverses digital environments? How can we ensure that patients and healthcare providers readily have access to information, without that information being susceptible to unauthorized disclosure, damage, deletion, or even theft? There are numerous components of information security that answer these and many other important questions; however, information security is a vast field that is comprised of many moving p arts such as risk management, legislature, standardization, training and awareness, assurance and auditing, and others. Consequently, information security has become a tremendous challenge for healthcare providers, and it has become increasingly