New IT initiatives require renewed HIPAA compliance focus

IT in the health care field has traditionally lagged a little behind other industries. After all, the need to comply with regulations and keep patient information safe has taken precedence over the breakthroughs that have been reported throughout the industry world. However, the need for progress has become undeniable and it appears as though IT departments within health care organizations will soon have to find a medium between complying with industry rules and embracing new movements.

The challenge ahead in 2014

According to a recent report by InformationWeek contributor Andy Daudelin, 2014 will be a critical year for technical workers within medical organizations. These employees and their departments will have to face impending deadlines to comply with new regulations while giving organizations the means to help patients in more comprehensive ways than ever before. Daudelin stated that the coming requirements coincide with the introduction of trends such as increasing mobility and a preference for the cloud, requiring an overall change of gear.

According to Daudelin, health care providers are eager to use private cloud infrastructure instead of keeping their data on-site. This is an abrupt about-face from previous attitudes that doubted any cloud solutions could be applicable in the medical profession. The author explained that firms can no longer fall back on the same procedures that kept their information safe. Internal IT workers will have to look to their cloud partners if they want to stay secure and in compliance. Daudelin highlighted the particular threat of internal breaches.

Mobility is a similar area to the cloud, in that it could hugely improve functionality or impede security. The key, Daudelin suggested, is to have structured rules in place that will keep all mobile devices within a consistent set of guidelines, able to be wiped by their owners and free of apps that may put information at risk.

Reaching out for help

Businesses that are facing crisis points or times of intense IT development never have to go it alone. The world of IT support services contains robust options that can help organizations stay up to date with their own goals and external requirements. When trying to ensure that all solutions and tools remain strong and meet  standards, leaders can call in external consultants. This is relevant to any firm entering an intensive period of growth and development. As of 2014, this applies to many different industries and fields. Rather than breaking their budgets adding internal employees, organizations can receive reliable help from trained outside sources.