Did you know that many people use the words “data” and “information” in the same way because they think that the terms are interchangeable? However, there is a difference in the meaning. “Data can be any character, text, word, number, picture, sound, or video and, if not put into context, means little or nothing to…
DetailsBlockchain technology is a hot topic in the healthcare industry. It has the potential to transform healthcare by placing the patient at the center of the healthcare system and increasing the security, privacy, and interoperability of health data. The healthcare industry already has a similar platform called the health information exchange (HIE) that facilitates the peer-to-peer…
DetailsCan you imagine a world without mobile devices? Of course not. Mobile devices have taken over our world and are used everywhere. They are having a great influence in our life and are very convenient to help us stay connected. In health care, providers may use them to access electronic protected health information (ePHI). But…
DetailsHealth care organizations are collecting and storing large volumes of patient data. Information is when you take the data you have and process and interpret it to transform that data into something you can use to make a decision. So the next step is turning data into information that can be used to help patients.…
DetailsEvery kind of medical facility is a potential target for cyber-attacks. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), passed by Congress in 1996, requires the protection and confidential handling of protected health information (PHI). This applies to all forms of PHI, including paper, oral, and electronic (ePHI). (source: http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/formsandpubs/laws/hipaa/Pages/1.00WhatisHIPAA.aspx) In the past few years, hospitals…
DetailsWhat is telehealth? The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) defines telehealth as “the use of telecommunications and information technology to provide access to health assessment, diagnosis, intervention, consultation, supervision and information across distance. Telehealth includes such technologies as telephones, facsimile machines, electronic mail systems, and remote patient monitoring devices which are used to…
Details2018 is set to bring regulatory changes and some challenges for health care providers. Big data analytics will play a significant role in the coming year. Health care Information Governance (IG) is a key factor in big data analytics, as managing the volume of big data needs a coordinated plan. Data and information support nearly…
DetailsThe Pew Research Center officially defined millennials as people born between 1981 and 1996. And although baby boomers are often considered the “largest generation” in number, millennials actually outnumber the boomers by 7.7 million. More than any other generation millennials and the way they communicate and interact have been shaped by technology, especially by the expansion…
Details2015 was a banner year for healthcare computer hacks and experts predict that 2016 is going to be worse. Two Southern California hospitals have been recently attacked by hackers who accessed one of the hospital’s computers and then spread a malware program that encrypts the data on all computers. The malware locks the hospital’s computer…
DetailsMany organizations are talking about addressing social determinants of healthcare. The term “social determinants” of health refers to “the circumstances in which people are born, grow up, live, work, and age. This also includes the systems in place to offer health care and services to a community. These circumstances are in turn shaped by a…
Details
