www.healthcaregoesmobile.com

In my last blog, I asked a few questions about the race to satisfy Meaningful Use requirements such as: will we implement EMRs at the cost of hurting our cultures and disrupting the processes that are working well?  And what about processes that aren’t working so well…will we opt for functionality and miss the opportunities for improvement? 

If you are a healthcare IT manager, you know the pain points of managing a complex computer network on a daily basis. It can be a challenge to educate users, focus on security and coordinate training around new devices, while devising a plan around what to do when staff members load Yahoo and Facebook applications on the system without authorization.

The mobile healthcare industry continues to grow at a fast clip – with the market for mHealth poised to hit $4.6 billion by 2014, according to a report from CSMG, the Overland, Kans.-based division of TMNG Global, a leading provider of products and services to the communications, media and entertainment industries.

But healthcare is healthcare – and, not surprisingly, therefore, reimbursement issues could stifle this growth.

Right now there are hundreds, even thousands, of physician practices using certified electronic health records (EHRs) with the functionality and product strategy capabilities to meet the objectives and requirements of the EHR Meaningful Use Final Rule released July 13.

Drivers of horse-drawn carriages put blinders on horses to block their peripheral vision.  This keeps the horses focused on what is ahead of them instead of being distracted by what is around them. While this may be a good thing for horses; what about for those of us who work in healthcare technology?

Data security issues are a nagging presence – as healthcare organizations move toward more mobile electronic record keeping systems. The “2010 HIMSS Analytics Report: Security of Patient Data,” a study commissioned by Kroll Fraud Solutions, Nashville, Tenn., found that 19 percent of the organizations participating in the survey experienced a data breach in the last year, up from just 13 percent two years ago.

I recently attended the 2010 HIMSS Southern Regional Conference where two topics were discussed that really caught my attention: one on social networking (oh shades of my last blog) and meaningful use (aren’t you surprised!).  But since I like to focus on one thing per blog, I’m going to pick meaningful use and return to social networking at another time.

The health care industry is big on using mobile technology — and on the concept of data security.  The utilization of security tools — not so much.  Not yet anyways.

At least that’s the conclusion emanating from “Managing and Securing Mobile Healthcare Data and Devices,” a study conducted by Cambridge, Mass.-based Forrester Consulting on behalf of FiberLink, a Blue Bell, Pa.-based developer of cloud-based “Mobility as a Service” solutions.

It’s obvious to say but well-worth emphasizing that the coming summer is arguably one of the most important in healthcare’s modern history as we await final EHR meaningful use and certification regulations. For CIOs, practice administrators and every stakeholder behind the creation of a national health information network bringing unlimited improvement of outcomes and financial savings, a working summer vacation is near.

Data security is becoming more important than ever before. Certainly, as health care organizations take advantage of wireless networks – and more information traverses across mobile devices – leaders need to get a grip on who is seeing what.

What’s more, HIPAA privacy and security rules now pack more punch, thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Under the updated rules, states now have the right to enforce the HIPAA privacy and security regulations. Plus, patients who are harmed by a security breach can seek financial damages. 

When I started this blog, I was sitting in the surgery waiting room at a small community hospital. Not far away from me were three people waiting for a loved one. The youngest person in the group was probably in her 50s and the other two were in their 70s or 80s. The youngest one was talking about a mutual friend who recently had surgery and saying that she had heard that the friend was doing well. Did she get a phone call?  No. An email? No. She read it on Facebook! 

An interesting article in American Medical News points to the fact that mobile data is, well, mobile. 

Therefore, the data can travel easily – whether it resides on laptops, PDAs or USB memory sticks – from place to place.  And, just like all those other small things that traverse via briefcase, pocket or hand (think car keys, concert tickets, TV remotes), people have a tendency to drop them or simply forget where they last plunked them down.  

While the majority of the Office of the National Coordinator’s (ONC) rulemaking proposal for the certification of meaningful use EHRs concerns the process of becoming a certifying entity, the 184-page document originally published March 2 is also a compelling look into the future.

The CTIA show in Vegas last week was abuzz with activity, much of it stemming from Sprint’s push to promote its expanding 4G wireless network. The company’s not alone in its pursuit of 4G or LTE broadband, but it is well ahead of the pack. For healthcare providers, the jump to significantly faster 4G speeds will eventually improve their ability to remotely monitor patients.

Life has been a rush since returning from HIMSS 2010, for good reason.  And, finally I have an opportunity to take a deep breath and to reflect on my experiences.  Of course, most of my time was spent in the exhibit hall so my impressions may be a bit biased but here goes.

Compared to last year, this was a joyous HIMSS.  People were more positive, the energy of the entire conference was lighter and looking to the future rather than the somber feel of HIMSS 2009.