Security Concerns Drive Advances in Wireless Applications for the Healthcare Sector

US

Frost: Wireless technology allows for enhanced connectivity, low costs of deployment due to the lack of cables, and faster access to information. The technology’s far-reaching benefits (including mobility) drive adoption in the healthcare sector where institutions utilize it to offer patients better facilities and care. However, end users are raising concerns about the vulnerability of wireless networks and their potential security hazards. The complexity of the advanced systems further aggravates these security threats. Wireless local area networks (WLANs) are especially vulnerable to intruders and attackers. Crimes such as eavesdropping, identity theft, and Denial of Service (DoS) are common as the airwaves are difficult to regulate. WLAN traffic travels over radio waves are not likely to be constrained by the walls of a building.

While employees might enjoy working on their laptops from a place outside the building, intruders and potential hackers can access the network from the parking lot or across the street. This makes it imperative for service providers to ensure that consumers derive the highest standards of security and have maximum client confidentiality. They must meet certain security requirements such as the establishment of trust partnership agreements among all the involved business partners, maintenance of formal electronic health records, and controlled access to information. Organized maintenance of the security configurations – including complete documentation of security plans and procedures – and security incident reporting procedures are ideal precautions.

Communication and network control, message encryption, and data authentication are other steps that providers could take to guarantee safety and prevent unauthorized access to patient information.Sorting out interference – either from nearby wireless networks or from devices sharing the same radio frequencies – is a significant technological challenge. For example, the 2.4 GHz frequency is particularly congested, with 802.11b and 802.11g networks sharing the same radio resources such as Bluetooth, cordless phone systems, baby monitors, and the wireless video systems.In order to spur uptake of wireless technologies across healthcare applications, participants need to offer high-speed access, better user interface, lower connection cost, and efficient functioning of the system. Emerging Wireless Technologies for Healthcare ApplicationsPubl 20050523