Cloud-based electronic medical record systems may not be as vulnerable to security breaches as once thought, as more vendors begin to offer these systems as an option and information is made available about how they operate.
There has been some industry concern, if a Physicians Practice blog post is any indication, that cloud-based EMR systems, which operate on the web rather than on site at a provider, were more vulnerable to cyber attacks and other security risks. But that's not necessarily true, according to Sheldon Needle, president of CTSGuides, a software screening and referral service. Needle recently posted on his own blog, comparing the two types of systems.
While security continues to be a top issue for any EMR system, security in a cloud-based record system may be better than in a client-based one, because client-based data is less likely to be encrypted, according to Needle.
Provider staff may also be more cavalier about the security of patient data in an on-site EMR system than personnel of a cloud-based EMR vendor, whose reputation can hinge on how well the vendor keeps client data safe from breaches, he adds.
To learn more:
- here's Needle's blog post
- read this post from Physicians Practice
- check out this Healthcare IT News article from February on cloud computing