The name most often used to describe the large Internet boom that’s taken place over the past decade is Web 2.0 — but did you know there’s also an industry-specific boom also happening in the medical field? It’s called Health 2.0 and it deals with telemedicine, digital record-keeping, mobile healthcare apps and other essential medical information components. In other words, it encompasses all the efforts to modernize and digtize today’s medical landscape. But what’s the advantage to switching over to a virtual system at all, and how secure is your data when it’s spread out over the web?
Electronic medical records
Face it: Paper files might feel more secure, but they actually provide higher security risks than digital files. Overcrowded filing cabinets and cluttered storage systems can lead to mix-ups or certain information being lost altogether, not to mention the higher threats of theft, flood and fire damage. By keeping your sensitive medical records securely in a password-protected cloud storage system, medical offices are ensuring your safety and security for the future. Sometimes, intangibility is a good thing.
Filing for Medicaid
The benefits of database virtualization don’t end at security, either. Imagine obtaining the appropriate documents to receive Medicaid or some other kind of healthcare assistance. You could wait in a doctor’s office for hours filling out monotonous forms and growing frustrated with the lack of organization, or you could simply register at the click of a mouse. Digital Medicaid forms are available that streamline the entire process, meaning you have to fill out fewer forms and still receive the most accurate and complete coverage.
Healthcare apps
Today, both doctors and patients across the industry are turning to mobile healthcare apps for their respective needs. Patients are using healthcare apps to assist them in monitoring their caloric intake, tracking the amount of exercise they’re getting and access quick medical facts. More doctors are subscribing to BYOD, or bring-your-own-device, work methods, meaning they can access a patient’s healthcare information via a tablet or smartphone for more up-to-date data and convenience.
HIPAA concerns
You might be tepid toward doctors pulling up your sensitive medical data via a mobile device, and rightfully so. Luckily, every healthcare app is under the watchful eye of government agencies ensuring it meets certain standards set by HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which was signed into effect in 1996 by President Bill Clinton. Today, HIPAA compliant emails, text messages, apps and other electronic information is an essential part of any successful Health 2.0 strategy.
When it’s your health and your security at risk, it helps to know you have the system on your side. Electronic medical records, healthcare apps and other Health 2.0 designs are engineered specifically to help you get the most complete and secure health coverage you possibly can. That’s all thanks to technology. References: www.iqmax.com