Health IT Forum

Posted Date:

February 28, 2013

Recap: Mobile devices and Healthcare: Securing Information, Protecting Privacy

The Health IT Forum presented its third of four programs today addressing the topic of Mobile devices and Health care: Securing Information, Protecting Privacy.

The program moderator Mr. Adnan Ahmed, Co-founder and President, CNSI emphasized that mobile technology is changing the way we do business. Policy and security factors are moving to catch-up with the changes.

Alice Leiter, Policy Counsel for the Center for Democracy & Technology stated that legal privacy assurances for patients provided through HIPAA currently excludes mobile platforms. Efforts are being made to create policy to provide secure and usable access to personal health information. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Organization (ONC), HHS has established Health IT incentives for doctors to view, download and transmit patient health information.

Dr. Manish Jain, Adult Medicine Assistant Chief DC/SM, Chief of Technology DC SM, Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc., presented Kaiser Permanente’s meaningful use of mobile applications for health providers their members. For example, providers are able to respond faster and accurately to patients while patients can manage their healthcare through access to their personal information. Their “Care Everywhere” program allows patients to contact providers, schedule appointments and manage their health concerns through Kaiser Permanente’s nationwide network.

Mr. Eric Ashman, Vice President of Engineering, KoolSpan, Inc., noted that mobile technology “cannot be secure enough” and security issues can be mitigated by user behavior and technology. At the very least, users create mobile access passcodes. Regarding technology, KookSpan, Inc. has created a micro memory encryption chip that can be inserted into mobile devices. He offered business commitment to IT is typically found through their corporate balance sheet. If IT is towards the bottom of the list, they are not adapting well to change.

Dr. Anand K. Iyer, President and Chief Operating Officer, WellDoc, Inc. asked, “What is the problem we are trying to solve?” The best outcome of using mobile devices is improved patient care without added cost. Though lack of security creates vulnerability, an “eco-system” of users, applications, the environment, networks and devices, encryption, space and business economics must be considered to optimize results

Program

Topic: Mobile devices and Healthcare: Securing Information, Protecting Privacy

This forum will present a panel of speakers who will address the issues of securing information with the use of mobile devices in healthcare. Mobility has enhanced patient care and while it improves operational efficiency, the risk of data is compromised. The February Health IT Forum panelists will address trends for mobility-enabled healthcare, security threats, vulnerability and countermeasures.

7:30am – 8:00am — Registration, Networking, Continental Breakfast

8:00am – 9:30am - Program

Moderator: