Environmental scan: Drivers of change in technology
The rise in smartphone ownership and wearable technology will likely increase the adoption of gamification technologies to manage health-related concerns and issues. Patient education via gamification is a potentially powerful tool to enhance engagement around disease management. Maintenance of certification and CME are also growth areas for gamification.
Cybersecurity and data breaches
The rapid development of mobile devices and the Internet of Things, in addition to the transmission of health data on a massive scale, will mean more health data will be stolen for a variety of illegal purposes. Hacking and unauthorized access are now common occurrences. Privacy breaches, potential HIPAA violations, and financial damage to patients and institutions are all areas of concern that accompany technological changes.12
Dr. Lesnick stressed that all health-care professionals must be accountable for safeguarding patient information and using the latest security software. “Physicians can be advocates for their patients by cautioning them about the risks of placing their private medical information into public spaces, such as social media. Patients should also know that they may be waiving their privacy rights when they utilize commercial entities that collect and store DNA analyses for purposes of ancestry tracking or medical screening,” he concluded.
References
1. Dhillon V et al. “Blockchain in healthcare: Innovations that empower patients, connect professionals and improve care.” (New York: CRC Press, 2019).
2. Das R. Top 8 healthcare predictions for 2019. Forbes. 2018 Nov 13.
3. 2019 Predictions. Teladoc Health. 2019. https://go.teladochealth.com/predictions/3/.
4. Director-General. “mHealth: Use of appropriate digital technologies for public health.” World Health Organization. 2018 Mar 26.
5. Physicians Practice Staff. 2018 Mobile Health Survey Results. Physicians Practice. 2018 Feb 20.
6. Trend 1: Citizen AI. Accenture. 2018 May 24.
7. Siwicki B. Zocdoc appointment booking app now verifies insurance with AI. Healthcare IT News. 2017 Oct 25
8. Schepke J. What’s your healthcare gamification strategy? Becker’s Healthcare. 2018 May 31.
9. November 2018 healthcare data breach report. HIPAA Journal. 2018 Dec 20.
10. Siwicki, B. Zocdoc appointment booking app now verifies insurance with AI. HeathcareITNews. 2017 Oct 25.
11. Schepke, J. What’s your healthcare gamification strategy? Becker’s Health IT & CIO Report. 2018. May 31.
12. November 2018 healthcare data breach report. HIPAA Journal. 2018 Dec 20.
Note: Background research performed by Avenue M Group.
