The process of storing and processing patient data in the cloud is triggering severe privacy concerns, says Cloud Security Alliance.
With widespread COVID-19 crisis, most health delivery organizations have hurriedly increased the consumption of telehealth capabilities to take care of the patients in their homes. The telehealth solutions include telemedicine, remote patient monitoring (RPM), and more. Such technologies allow delivery of patient treatment with ease, comply with Coronavirus mitigation with proven practices, and lower the risk of exposure for the healthcare professionals.
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The latest report from Cloud Security Alliance has addressed the rising security and privacy issues with storing, processing, and transmitting the patient data in the cloud. The report titled, “Telehealth Data in the Cloud” has analyzed the possible threats related to the cloud healthcare data.
Unsurprisingly, the new-age remote healthcare brings in various security challenges. The telehealth solutions launch patient data of high levels all over the internet as well as in the cloud. Thus with time, they can make the most of the technologies to monitor and treat patients remotely with mild cases of the virus and also for other health issues. Yet, the remote environment of cure comes with an array of security and patients’ privacy challenges.
According to Dr. Jim Angle, Co-chairman of Health Information Management Working Group at Cloud Security Alliance, as mentioned in the company blog post – “For health care systems, telehealth has emerged as a critical technology for safe and efficient communications between healthcare providers and patients, and accordingly, it’s vital to review the end-to-end architecture of a telehealth delivery system.”
Basically, health delivery organizations (HDOs) need to understand specific regulations and technologies. With the increasing usage of telehealth in the cloud, HDOs need to proactively and adequately address data and its related security issues. As per experts, they should not leave it to the cloud service providers since it is a shared responsibility realizing regulatory demands to support the system for safe execution.
Dr. Jim Angle also added, “A full analysis can help determine whether privacy and security vulnerabilities exist, what security controls are required for proper cybersecurity of the telehealth ecosystem, and if patient privacy protections are adequate.”The regulatory mandates may include multiple jurisdictions, and the requirements can consist of GDPR as well as HIPAA compliance. Hence, equipped with the right information, the HDOs can successfully implement and maintain a secure, robust telehealth solution.
