-Enable healthcare workers to access EHR's (electronic health records) securely while helping to facilitate timely updates on patient conditions, assist with medication administration and accurate treatment plans.

-Mobile applications/software on portable devices help healthcare workers to securely document patient assessments, interventions/outcomes while also accessing online education resources and training modules.

Reference:

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). Your mobile device and health information privacy and security. HealthIT.gov. Retrieved from https://www.healthit.gov/topic/privacy-security-and-hipaa/your-mobile-device-and-health-information-privacy-and-security

• Increased Accuracy: reduce the risk of errors that come with manual data entry leading to patient safety.

• Improved effectiveness: quicker access to patient info, reducing time leading to faster decisions-making.

• Accessible Information from anywhere: quick access to patient info or education material to provide quality care.

• Security concerns: healthcare providers must protect devices and portals to reduce risk of unauthorized access

• Privacy concerns: patients may feel at risk with their PHI (personal health info) accessed and stored on portable devices.

• Training requirements: providers will need to stay up to date on training for devices as well as associated software

• Technical Issues: disruption in workflows could hinder healthcare providers ability to access critical info
  

1. How do portable electronic devices enhance the workflow for clinical providers in healthcare settings?

2. What are some risks associated with the increased reliance on portable devices for patient care with documentation and communication among healthcare professionals?

3. How can healthcare systems ensure that clinical providers receive proper training and support to use portable devices while maintaining patient privacy and regulation requirements?

However, with the increase use of EHR, comes with data breaches with improper sharing of EHR. This is where security tools comes in. EHR, as mentioned above, when used properly really helps our patients as it can provide better outcomes, but it has to be done right. With the use of security tools, it prevents the violation of HIPAA Privacy Rules which in turn helps provide confidentiality to patients protecting them from discrimination and embarrassment of those sensitive information were to have been leaked (d'Aliberti and Clark, 2022).

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). Your mobile device and health information privacy and security. HealthIT.gov. Retrieved from https://www.healthit.gov/topic/privacy-security-and-hipaa/your-mobile-device-and-health-information-privacy-and-security

What is healthcare cybersecurity?. Ordr. (2024, March 5). https://ordr.net/article/what-is-healthcare-cybersecurity

Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA). (2023, December 6). HHS announces next steps in ongoing work to enhance cybersecurity for health care and public health sectors. HHS.gov. https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/12/06/hhs-announces-next-steps-ongoing-work-enhance-cybersecurity-health-care-public-health-sectors.html

Alanazi, A. T. (2023). Clinicians’ Perspectives on Healthcare Cybersecurity and Cyber Threats. Cureus, 15. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.47026