The 10 Best Revenue Cycle Management Solution Providers 2018 Cycle Management Final File optimize | Page 36

About the Author:
Jeff Mongelli built and sold his finance company 17 years ago to GE Capital to enter
the healthcare industry. As the Founder and CEO, Jeff built Acentec, Inc. into a
national leader in improving the clinical and financial performance of healthcare
organizations. He understands that achieving the promise of improved healthcare
through aggregated data requires dedicated commitment to the protection and privacy
of that information. Jeff is considered an industry expert in IT Technology & Security,
HIPAA compliance, and is actively involved in the field of artificial intelligence. He is
frequently quoted in the industry’s publications and is a featured speaker at national
trade shows and Medical Association meetings. He’s a member of the FBI’s Infragard
program and a collaborator in their Healthcare CyberSecurity Workgroup and also a
member of Homeland Security’s Information Network.
D
uring a recent trip to the
doctor’s office, other than the
nurse using two fingers on my
wrist and a watch to take my pulse,
everything else was completely
different. From booking my
appointment online, to completing
much of the usual paperwork from
home, things have changed. For the
first time, I was able to provide an
actual medical history, since I was
home where that information is. When
I arrived at the office, I checked in on a
tablet and was told the wait would be
less than 5 minutes. Once the doctor
entered the exam room, she had
already reviewed a thorough and
accurate medical history and began
firing off questions about the sorts of
things that happen during an active
lifestyle. Although my first encounter
with this provider, she seemed to know
me like she’d been treating me for
years. During the encounter, I was able
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| December 2018 |
to share with her the heart rate alerts I
had received on my Apple Watch while
essentially doing nothing. This type of
information has been made available
by the Internet of Things, or internet
connected devices, both wearable and
otherwise. That’s the positive side of
technology’s impact on healthcare.
It’s not just our physician encounters
that have changed. Medical devices
have also seen great change. Not only
do our elderly have access to home
health monitoring equipment, but
virtually every medical device being
manufactured is now either connected
directly to an internal network or onto
the World Wide Web. These
technological advancements have
allowed for the flow of data into
software systems that analyze, alert,
and share that information with
providers throughout the care chain.
The result is leading to better health
outcomes and improved quality of life
for many of us.
Sadly, it’s not all good news. The
connectivity of all these devices has
created a treasure trove of
opportunities for cyber criminals. The
possibility of extorting someone for
bitcoins or they’ll shut your pacemaker
off is not an unrealistic concern. In
fact, a 2017 Ponemon Institute study
found that 39% of medical device
manufacturers reported attackers have
taken control of their devices.
Additionally, 38% of care delivery
organizations said inappropriate
therapy/treatment had been delivered
to patients because of an insecure
medical device. Imagine a hacker in
Romania manipulating the medicine
pump connected to your arm when
you’re in the hospital – this is today’s
reality.