PROJECT TITLE :

Securing Health Information

ABSTRACT:

Healthcare within the digital age is undergoing an IT revolution. In the US, spurred by legislation like the Health Information Technology and Economics Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, electronic health records (EHR) adoption has dramatically increased. Meanwhile, enabled by mobile devices and ubiquitous networks, patients and physicians interact with health information in novel ways. Given health data's sensitive nature, but, a cautious approach to IT integration is warranted to confirm that patients' sensitive info is protected. Although health information security is of great interest in both academia and practice, relatively little scholarship has examined the safety implications of the behavior of those who truly use IT within the healthcare sector. To stimulate this important discussion, the authors briefly describe the changing landscape of an IT-enabled healthcare ecosystem and discuss the rising problems of mobility and security. This text is half of a special issue on IT security.