Securing the Promise of Virtual Health Care Addressing Cyber Risk in a New Era of Medicine

It took years for people to become comfortable buying things online. First, the technology had to make it secure. Then, people had to reach a level of comfort and confidence in that new level of security. A similar process is unfolding today in health care, where an array of virtual technologies offers the potential to bring more care to more people in more places at less cost. If you worry about who might intercept your credit card number, what about your health records, or your genome? 

Virtual health some people use the term “telemedicine” is the use of digital technologies to provide patient-physician interaction, deliver care, and facilitate other services without traveling in person to a care site. It’s a topic we’ve discussed before, from the patient perspective, the physician’s point of view, and where they come together. Yet because the issue hinges on data sharing, it’s important to build an approach to address the cyber risk aspects of it as well.

The health care industry continues to seek new advantages in addressing the “triple aim” of access, quality, and cost. Because virtual health may offer advantages in each of these areas, and because people are increasingly oriented toward the daily use of digital tools, it’s starting to gain in popularity.