Mitigating “Protected Health Information” danger in the cloud
Grazed from Government Health IT. Author: Rick Kam.
For all of its benefits, cloud computing poses very real dangers to covered entities responsible for safeguarding protected health information (PHI).
The cloud model, which the IT industry has been embracing for its up-front cost savings and efficiencies for years now, is more recently being recognized by the healthcare realm for its potential to serve as an ideal infrastructure for Health Information Exchange (HIE) — a main component of the Electronic Health Records (EHR) meaningful use initiatives. What’s more, the cloud can provide easy, affordable access to the latest medical applications, such as e-prescribing or leading-edge diagnostic tools.
All of which could contribute to the strong growth of cloud computing in healthcare, according to CompTIA research. But PHI security dangers lurk in the cloud. Here’s a look at how to mitigate some of those…

