A few generations ago, healthcare workers had far fewer opportunities to gossip about patients. But with social media and instant messaging, healthcare employees have plenty of opportunities to breach information before realizing what they’ve done.

Telemedicine means exactly as it sounds -- a medical service delivered via telephone or any communications technology. It sounds like a new development in medicine, but it’s really not. Although there have been many great advances in healthcare, most people prefer the conventional way of getting treatment at the hospital or clinic.

Healthcare providers have a lot on their plate: Caring for patients is first and meeting compliance regulations comes at a close second. Hospitals and smaller practices truly benefit from technology experts coming on-site, installing all the right IT systems, and leaving clearly outlined instructions, amounting to a swift and inexpensive process.

When talking about IT within the healthcare industry, it’s pretty difficult for conversations to stray too far from HIPAA compliance. And as the number of audits and penalties continue to increase, those conversations only become more prevalent. As small- and medium-sized businesses review their policies at the beginning of a new year, let’s cover some of the most fundamental HIPAA considerations, right here.

Quick, name an industry that hasn’t been vastly improved by new technologies. It’s not easy to do, and would be especially difficult to argue when discussing medicine, where hi-tech advancements make everything possible from transdermal glucose monitors to genome sequencing.

A piece of malware known as Stegoloader continues to wreak havoc on healthcare companies that inadvertently download it under the guise of product keys. The malware steals information from infected machines and spreads itself through the compromised network.

Technology has long been a cornerstone in the healthcare industry. Changes in technology and advances in medicine are so closely linked that they’re often one and the same. This time, the changes have to do with artificial intelligence (also known as AI). This autonomous technology has the opportunity and the means to completely transform and revolutionize the healthcare industry in various ways.

Costs are a major concern when it comes to IT solutions, and the healthcare industry has its struggles trying to keep up with the latest technology on the market. Thankfully, cloud solutions and increased storage availability mean hospitals and clinics finally get some relief.

Is being responsible for electronic medical records a daily source of trepidation for you or your business? While the sentiment is understandable, it often results from a lack of understanding about what HIPAA compliance actually means. As industry-wide penalties continue to rise every year, it’s essential to take a closer look at who is being fined, and why.

Having to “check the files” without the aid of computers can be quite cumbersome. In the healthcare industry in particular, patient files are practically libraries unto themselves with medical history, allergies, vaccine status, lab test results, personal statistics, billing info, etc.