BYOD for Healthcare PDF

Preface

Where once end users queued up to ask information technology (IT) permission to buy a new computer or new version of software, they are now bypassing IT altogether and buying it on their own. From laptops to smartphones. From iPads to any number of software apps, end users have tasted their freedom and love them. IT is just never going to be the same. Welcome to the brave new world of "bring your own devices" (BYODs).

The roots of BYOD can be traced back to the consumerization of all things technology, where technical wizardry is no longer purely the domain of the geek who works for the IT department. Geeks can now be found all over the organization. These workers want to make their own technology choices, whether those choices are on the "approved" list or the company pays for it.

Seventy percent of organizations have already adopted BYOD. Gartner predicts this number to increase to 90% by 2014. Most interestingly, a very high percentage of workers think that it is a right rather than a privilege to use their own devices at work. So, it is really not a question of if. It is not even a question of when. It is a question of will you be ready.

Of course, the health-care industry is not the same as most other industries. Hospitals, clinics, and medical offices are not stores, hotels, or assembly lines, although all of these industries are affected by the economy, productivity, regulation, and the need for assessment. BYOD for Healthcare provides the guidance necessary for living in this brave new world. You will first learn how to understand these new end users and their demands, as well as the strategic and tactical ramifications of these demands. The book will then cover the broad range of technical considerations such as selection, connectivity, training, support, and security. All of this will be related specifically to the health-care industry— integration to health IT, legal, regulatory and ethical issues, and so on. Ultimately, this book explains and then helps you live with the psychotechno phenomenon, that is, BYODs.

But BYOD cannot be considered apart from the rest of the enterprise. It must be properly integrated into the organization's IT infrastructure, including its information assets. Thus, we will spend some time in addressing the topics such as content and data management, risk assessment, performance measurement and management, and even configuration management. All of this will be done within the context of health IT, as it is customarily known. Under the health IT umbrella are such systems and initiatives as electronic health records (EHRs), clinical decision support (CDS), health information exchange (HIE), and consumer eHealth. All of these are potential candidates for BYOD.

BYOD for Healthcare also comes with a set of "Quick Start" guides, which provide tips for such things as assessing costs, cloud integration, and even legal issues. There is also a full set of appendices that include information on everything from security settings for Apple iOS devices to a sample employee mobile device agreement.

I thank those who assisted me in putting this book together. As always, my editor, John Wyzalek, was instrumental in getting my project approved and providing great encouragement.