It's really just a coincidence that we've had a cluster of data breaches in the past couple of weeks, but it is a hint at a new kind of data security that's posing a problem: protecting health data on laptops, smartphones and other wireless devices.
Hospitals and health systems in general are adept at identifying--and perhaps more importantly preventing--data breaches on hard-wired devices. But even tech-savvy providers are struggling to secure untethered technology.
But when a stolen laptop caused a data breach that affected 3,900 patients, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center's leaders responded by developing a strategy for improvement that other leaders can--and should--emulate.
You can read more about it in the column I wrote for our sister publication, FierceMobileHealthcare: "Health IT leaders will benefit from BIDMC's transparency over data breach."
And don't forget to send CIO John Halamka a thank-you note. - Gienna