Can you maximize efficiency without compromising information security?

by Aline Liu

Information security should be top of mind for healthcare leaders as identity thieves and cyber criminals are targeting hospitals more than any other industry.

In fact, protected health information (PHI) tops the charts[1] on the black market today. With a whopping 89 percent of healthcare organizations having experienced data breaches[2] over the past two years, it can make hospital administrators want to store sensitive information under lock and key.

With secure point-of-service scanning, you can capture data from the moment it is entered into the system and route it immediately to an electronic health record (EHR) or electronic content management (ECM) system.

Even so, healthcare information must be easily accessible. How can you control communications while facilitating information’s fluidity across the enterprise?

Improve information security and productivity by focusing on three key stages of the data life cycle.

Data capture

According to a recent IDC Health Insights study, 34 percent of hospitals’ information is intangible. With secure point-of-service scanning, you can capture data from the moment it is entered into the system and route it immediately to an electronic health record (EHR) or electronic content management (ECM) system. This can help avoid the misplacement of paper documents, which can lower the risk of document theft or loss. Early data capture also enables workflow automation, which can help boost productivity.

Data storage

Most content management solutions reside in a vendor’s data center. When data stays within the enterprise – not transferred from external servers – you can achieve faster access to information and reduce third-party security and compliance risks.

Improve workflows without compromising information security

Learn to drive quality care by putting your health organization's information security top of mind with this complementary IDC white paper.

Download whitepaper

Data access

Digital rights management is critical for hospitals today, and authorization and encryption tools help facilitate secure information sharing. Pre-authorization solutions can not only help to protect against theft, but also to avoid accidental access. Document lock-downs and warning alerts can help reduce inadvertent breaches, while the pre-authorization can help improve accessibility for the right recipients.

Anywhere-access to patient information is becoming increasingly important for productive and efficient healthcare operations.

Aline Liu, Senior Manager, Strategic IMC Planning for Ricoh’s Healthcare business, is responsible for developing content that address the challenges Healthcare companies face and provide insights on how to solve them. She brings over 15 years of experience in marketing communications, promoting content and solutions that are important to our customers.

[1] Lowes, Robert. "Stolen EHR Charts Sell for $50 Each on Black Market." Medscape. April 28, 2014. http://www.medscape.com/.

[2] "89% of Organizations Experienced Data Breaches, According to New Ponemon Report." ID Experts. May 11, 2016. https://www2.idexpertscorp.com.