Telehealth

The Food and Drug Administration, Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT and Federal Communication Commission hosted a workshop this past week where panel members representing the IT and mobile world participated. For the most part, the constituencies endorsed the risk-based regulatory approach proposed in FDA's Safety Innovation Act.

Technologists have worked for years to break down data silos in healthcare. Then, just as it seemed they were starting to figure out interoperability, along comes a flood of mobile health apps that simply don't connect to anything.

The face of telehealth is changing in ways that are becoming unrecognizable from just a few short years ago. No longer is it just a rudimentary communication between healthcare providers and patients. It is now a substantive encounter that reflects the intimacy and personal nature of a face-to-face visit, providers of new-generation technology say.

Conversations about BYOD began long before "smartphone" and "iPad" were household words. As mobile technology continues to evolve and become increasingly common, however, so does the dialogue around whether BYOD is appropriate and beneficial in the healthcare realm.

More than half of people with chronic conditions say the ability to get their electronic medical records online outweighs the potential privacy risks, according to a new survey by Accenture.

New guidelines issued by the Federation of State Medical Boards could have a chilling effect on the growth of telemedicine -- especially in rural areas and among low-income patients, say some patient advocates, healthcare providers and healthcare companies.

Explore Medical Practice Insider's guide to emerging apps and devices for the medical practice.

Healthcare security is a multifaceted, ever-shifting challenge -- and all it takes is one missed cue for a costly breach to ensue, says Heather Roszkowski, chief information security officer of Fletcher Allen Healthcare. Technology can give a broader view of where data is, and who's doing what with it.

Serving notice that "covered entities and business associates must understand that mobile device security is their obligation," the HHS Office for Civil Rights has settled with two organizations for a combined $1,975,220 penalty after their unencrypted computers were stolen.

Healthcare has a few things to do differently in the privacy and security arena -- one of them being: Start taking it seriously. This according to Verizon's annual breach report.