Healthcare Technologies Report: Security and Patient Care

This report examines the application of innovative technologies in healthcare to enhance patient care and streamline hospital operations. It begins by analyzing the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems to improve patient flow and communication within oncology units, addressing issues of overcrowding and staff shortages. The report then delves into the ethical considerations surrounding the use of clinical information systems, emphasizing the importance of policies like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to protect patient privacy. Furthermore, it recommends the use of CardioMEMS, a wireless device, to monitor heart conditions and reduce hospital readmissions for heart failure patients. Finally, the report discusses cloud-based security measures as essential for safeguarding the vast amounts of patient data generated in the healthcare industry. The report provides evidence-based recommendations for improving healthcare delivery through technology.

Running head: TECHNOLOGIES IN HEALTHCARE 1
Technologies in Healthcare
Name
Institution

TECHNOLOGIES IN HEALTHCARE 2
Technology in Oncology Unit
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) System
This is a wireless communication system that helps in improving communication, the flow of
information, and quality of care in hospitals. Hospitals must evaluate the flow of staff, patients,
and materials through their channels. There is normally a problem of an overflow of patients and
lack of staff in the oncology units of most hospitals ("Innovative Technologies Help Patient
Flow", 2019). As a result, patients are in most cases boarded in the hospitals thus leading to
delays in the delivery of care. The RFID has an antenna that is connected to the data network of
the hospital. It makes it easy to place tags on patients and materials in the hospital and the system
captures information every time the tags move around the departments that helping in the
management of patients ("Innovative Technologies Help Patient Flow", 2019). The technology
also helps in enhancing communication between staff thus fostering flow in the hospital.
Ethical Use of Clinical Information
Doctors and other health practitioners must ensure that the privacy of all patient information is
maintained in the right way. There have been major technological advances in the healthcare
sector in recent years with the use of electronic health records and computers gaining a lot of
popularity. However, these computers may sometimes be the subject of hacking by unethical
hackers thus exposing the privacy of patients and their families. It is therefore important to have
policies that govern the ethical use of clinical information systems. One such policy may be
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This policy guides the use and disclosure of
a patient’s private information. It additionally ensures that the clinical information of a client is

TECHNOLOGIES IN HEALTHCARE 3
highly protected but at the same time allows the flow of the necessary information needed to
ensure the provision of quality and safe care (Edemekong & Haydel, 2019).
Decreasing Readmission in the Cardiology Unit
CardioMEMS
This is a wireless device that helps in monitoring the condition of the heart and assessing the
chances of a heart failure thus reducing the number of hospitalizations as a result of heart failure.
It is easy to use by patients and also provides essential data to clinicians. This device can be
given to people who have been hospitalized for heart failure so that they can monitor themselves
and avoid readmission (Kanat & Nichols, 2017). According to studies, CardioMEMS has shown
approximately a 33% drop in hospitalization and readmissions as a result of heart failure since
2017. Additionally, it significantly reduces the length of stay in hospitals in a situation where a
patient is hospitalized.
Technological Security Measures
Cloud-based Security
It is important to note that the healthcare industry deals with huge amounts of data that require
large storage systems to ensure data security and integrity. This data cannot be safely stored in
hardware installations thus making the use of cloud networks an obvious choice for the storage
of all the data (Shenai & Aramudhan, 2018). This system also ensures the security of the stored
data by looking for suspicious behaviours and dealing with them. They also warn the users of
potential suspicious behaviours so that the necessary measures can be taken to protect the health
information (Shenai & Aramudhan, 2018). The cloud providers and the healthcare centres work
together to comply with the HIPAA regulations thus ensuring data security.

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References
Edemekong, P. F., & Haydel, M. J. (2019). Health insurance portability and accountability act
(hipaa). In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.
Innovative Technologies Help Patient Flow. (2019). Retrieved 18 September 2019, from
https://www.healthcaredesignmagazine.com/architecture/innovative-technologies-help-
patient-flow/
Kanat, N., & Nichols, M. (2017). 6 CardioMEMS for Effective Management of Heart Failure:
Reducing Healthcare Utilization and 30 Day Readmissions. Heart & Lung: The Journal
of Acute and Critical Care, 46(3), 213-214.
Shenai, S., & Aramudhan, M. (2018). Cloud computing framework to securely share health &
medical records among federations of healthcare information systems. Biomedical
Research (0970-938X).