New Technology Blog: Harvard CIO
The Chief Information Office at the Harvard School of Medicine and Dean of Technology of the Harvard School of Medicine, John D. Halamka, M.D., M.S. launched a new blog: Life As a Healthcare CIO.
His initial posting, The Top 10 Things a CIO Can Do to Enhance Security, describes potential opportunities for information technology staff within the healthcare setting, in particular, to improve the safety of data. This is essential in the healthcare environment, where the data contains pages upon pages of confidential patient information.
Dr. Halamka describes ten essential pieces that should guide security practices, including governance, risk assessment, firewalls, intrusion detection, means for remote access, authorization, anti-virus, audit trails, and another of key components. He suggests that these ten principles provide a roadmap for a healthcare organization’s preliminary plan to protect their data. He further highlights the need for knowledgeable, experienced team to maintain system security.
An additional consideration in planning for system security is compliance with HIPAA. Dr. Halamka, an emergency room physician, also acknowledges the importance of maintaining patient’s private information to ensure trust between healthcare provider and patient.
October 26, 2007 Related topics: General Management & Administration, Privacy, Trends, IT & software