What’s Your BYOD Prescription?

With 81 percent of employees bringing personal devices into the workplace, it is no secret that the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) phenomenon has set up shop in the corner office of the enterprise. And, with 60 percent of physicians using their mobile phone in the workplace on a daily basis, BYOD has clearly already checked itself into the healthcare industry, as well.

Despite the well-known convenience and collaboration benefits the movement allows, one cannot ignore the obvious threat BYOD poses to patient privacy. In my latest contributed article in Health Management Technology, What's the healthcare industry doing about BYOD?, I address the issue of patient privacy amid the BYOD movement. Are healthcare IT professionals doing enough?

While initiatives brought on by Stage 2 compliance and the HHS Office of Civil Rights (OCR) are steps in the right direction, 59 percent of healthcare IT professionals are still concerned with their organization’s ability to address the data protection issues of BYOD. Healthcare IT professionals’ concern is justified though, given that just one misplaced iPad could lead to more than a million dollars in fines, not to mention the loss of countless patients’ personal data. With this much at stake, it’s time IT makes data protection a top priority.

In my article, I highlight steps healthcare IT professionals can take to make sure data protection is front and center, not only keeping sensitive patient records protected, but ensuring organizations steer clear of hefty compliance fines. With the right technology practices in place, like implementing mobile device management, and auditing mobile device usage, healthcare professionals can safeguard their patients’ data while also reaping the productivity and efficiency benefits BYOD can provide for the healthcare industry.