The healthcare industry is rapidly changing, as the ecosystem adopts a number of technologies to improve operations. So, what are the best ways to keep health records highly protected?
Beyond compliance, there are few components that can help increase the protection of the most valuable asset in the healthcare industry: data.
- Data Centers
Data centers are the environment that houses patient, payer and provider’s data. Verizon Terremark has a network of nearly 50 data centers and security is taken very seriously. All data centers are staffed by security personnel twenty-four hours a day to monitor all security cameras, guard building entrances, exit access points and key control card access to elevators, floors and roof areas. Beyond the physical security procedures in place, there are also advanced power and environmental systems in place to protect the stability of all systems. They have been designed with large organizations in mind and, in the case of healthcare providers and payers, the stakes are high when selecting a hosting provider that can carry the responsibility of delivering, supporting and maintaining the environment that serves as the foundation of the healthcare industry.
- Cloud
Cloud has recently seen an increased level of adoption by the healthcare industry. As the cloud space matures, stakeholders in the industry become more educated about the audits and certifications available to validate the security of cloud computing. Verizon Enterprise Solutions recently unveiled a comprehensive portfolio of IT solutions that helps the healthcare industry meet federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) security requirements for safeguarding electronic protected information.
- Disaster Recovery
A disaster recovery plan can help ease concerns when outsourcing IT operations. Verizon Terremark’s disaster recovery practice, Advanced Data Solutions, has continued to grow while partnering with many government and commercial customers in recent years. This team designs and implements data storage networks, back-up and recovery. When selecting a solution that includes disaster recovery features, it is important to find a platform that is highly scalable, easily customized and complimented with the right support.
- Personnel
Many times the “who” is just as important as the “what.” As data centers, clouds and business continuity options are considered, it’s important to recognize that all systems and technologies are managed by people. Inside and outside the organization IT professionals should be professionally qualified and extensively trained on a cyclical basis to be able to deliver the highest level of service and performance.
- Availability
Performance issues on business-critical applications are an understandably popular topic in today’s IT world, likely attributed to many of the different components that make up computing environments. Availability and scalability are two important components of this environment. A healthcare provider may require a certain amount of resources today but significantly more next week, and issues arise when limits are reached and critical data can be lost. Cloud computing mitigates this issue, as well as an IT provider, with the resources to grow as healthcare organizations change provisioning requirements.
The ongoing theme in all of the items mentioned above is that it all comes down to selecting a technology company that is willing to customize its solutions and offer the right support.
