As an IT person working for a hospice company I am constantly attempting to find a harmonious balance between implementing technological advancements and mitigating security risks. In other sectors, IT departments can have something akin to carte blanche when it comes to new technologies and services. The world of healthcare is often a bit slower to adopt new technology for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which being the heavy amount of regulatory scrutiny that falls on providers. While new technology can lead to increased efficiency in the use of information it also tends to usher in scary new security risks. In the past this has made healthcare IT departments very gun-shy when it comes to advancements in technology regardless of the improvements they may bring in the practical use of information. More often than not these advancements were all but ignored in favor of current, secure, and comfortable systems.

But the times, as Dylan opined four and a half decades ago, they are a-changin’.

We’ve managed to achieve connectivity in ways once thought to be impossible. At any time, day or night, staff members can communicate vital information with one another through email and secure messaging. Critical business information can reach central locations from even the most distant outposts in no time at all. Our most productive computers are no longer tethered to an office desk but instead are being carried in our purses and pockets. We have unlimited communication power at our fingertips. And as every good IT nerd knows, with great power comes great responsibility. Continue reading →