According to a recent survey, 85% of hospital IT departments allow doctors
and staff to use personal devices at work.
Furthermore,
we also know that doctors are 250% more likely to own a tablet than other
consumers. It’s now clear that BYOD in healthcare has arrived and is here
to stay.
Despite
many organizations’ best efforts to create tight security policies around the
mingling of work and personal information, recent studies and anecdotal evidence have shown that
it is still occurring.
Along
with enforcing HIPAA regulations and ensuring that patient data is
not accessed outside of secure, approved systems, strong policies must also be
put in place when healthcare professionals are using their own devices to
manage the costs and risks associated.
Xigo
has met with its clients and come up with a few additional rules (beyond HIPAA
compliance and device/network security) for healthcare IT departments either
deploying BYOD, such as Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, or being forced to
consider it by employees.
Six
rules to consider when it comes to managing BYOD in healthcare organizations:
1.
Educate Doctors and Nurses About Appropriate Usage of Devices
Ensure that smartphones and devices are set up properly so that personal and professional information is not mixed together. We’re not even talking about patient information here—that should never even be a possibility—but rather inter-office communication, timesheets, etc. This will ensure that important information is not lost and healthcare institutions are not incurring expenses when personal applications are used during work hours.
Ensure that smartphones and devices are set up properly so that personal and professional information is not mixed together. We’re not even talking about patient information here—that should never even be a possibility—but rather inter-office communication, timesheets, etc. This will ensure that important information is not lost and healthcare institutions are not incurring expenses when personal applications are used during work hours.
2.
Manage Smartphone Applications—They Can be Distracting
and Costly
There are thousands of smartphone applications available for purchase these days. These apps can be very costly for healthcare organizations. Make sure your policies are set prior to launching BYOD programs. Certain applications may need to be turned off or blocked during work hours to avoid unnecessary distractions and costs.
There are thousands of smartphone applications available for purchase these days. These apps can be very costly for healthcare organizations. Make sure your policies are set prior to launching BYOD programs. Certain applications may need to be turned off or blocked during work hours to avoid unnecessary distractions and costs.
3.
Not all Providers Offer Appropriate Plans for Healthcare
Organizations
Healthcare institutions should do the necessary research to understand all the various providers and plans and choose the one that will best support their organization’s specific needs.
Healthcare institutions should do the necessary research to understand all the various providers and plans and choose the one that will best support their organization’s specific needs.
4.
Renegotiate Wireless Contracts
With the influx of tablets and smartphones, wireless companies are constantly changing their corporate service plans. Data and phone plans should be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure health organizations are not paying for unused services and are fully maximizing their mobile spend. Greater use of Wi-Fi in the healthcare facility can help to mitigate expenses.
With the influx of tablets and smartphones, wireless companies are constantly changing their corporate service plans. Data and phone plans should be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure health organizations are not paying for unused services and are fully maximizing their mobile spend. Greater use of Wi-Fi in the healthcare facility can help to mitigate expenses.
5.
Track Unused Devices
More often than not, unused devices can go unnoticed but not cancelled. It is essential to track hospital issued devices to ensure you are not paying for ones that are sitting in a drawer.
More often than not, unused devices can go unnoticed but not cancelled. It is essential to track hospital issued devices to ensure you are not paying for ones that are sitting in a drawer.
6.
Have a mobile expense management (MEM) plan in place
before implementing BYOD
Mobile expense management software can help organizations manage these devices and service plans, track monthly expenses, budget for new devices and see real-time updates of your mobile expenses. This software can prevent waste, fraud and bill shock from being an issue in your organization.
Mobile expense management software can help organizations manage these devices and service plans, track monthly expenses, budget for new devices and see real-time updates of your mobile expenses. This software can prevent waste, fraud and bill shock from being an issue in your organization.
David
Snow
No comments:
Post a Comment