What Is Healthcare Access Management?

The industry of telemedicine and telehealth has seen a surge after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. A report published by McKinsey showed how telehealth use increased by 38 times in the recent pandemic. Even in 2023, we are seeing a constant rise in remote healthcare services, making it obvious that healthcare institutes implement robust and secure identity and access management systems to protect user information from bad actors. 

Data breaches in healthcare cost millions and erode public trust. Investing in access management solutions is not just a security measure, it’s a commitment to patient safety and ethical care – Mr. David Lee, CEO of National Health Network.

In addition to this, with the added security features, healthcare organizations are also looking for ways to increase their efficiency of working due to their time-sensitive nature. With healthcare access management, hospitals can now share medical records and patient histories in no time with other hospitals in the same region. But to make the process of sharing seamless and at the same time protected requires a solid healthcare access management system. 

So today, with this blog’s help, we aim to provide insight into how healthcare access management is helping healthcare organizations keep up with the soaring demand for healthcare services. Besides this, we are also going to discuss what you need to establish this form of system in your organization. 

Definition Of Healthcare Access Management 

In today’s data-driven world, healthcare stands as one of the most sensitive sectors. Patient information is highly confidential, and maintaining its security while delivering quality care is paramount. This is where healthcare access management steps in. It’s not just about managing access; it’s about revolutionizing healthcare through technology.

Think of it as a smart, secure shield for valuable health data. It uses intelligent tools and identity governance to streamline access control, ensuring only authorized individuals can access patient information. But the benefits go beyond mere security.

With robust access management, doctors and healthcare staff gain supercharged healthcare superpowers:

• Early diagnosis: Identify potential health issues faster through access to complete medical histories, leading to earlier interventions and improved patient outcomes.
• Enhanced chronic care: Manage chronic conditions more effectively by easily tracking progress and providing personalized guidance to patients.
• Streamlined workflows: Automate administrative tasks and centralize data, freeing up healthcare professionals to focus on what matters most – patient care.
• Data privacy, protected: Ensure compliance with regulations like HIPAA and safeguard sensitive information from unauthorized access or breaches.

Healthcare access management is not just software; it’s a paradigm shift. It’s about building a connected, efficient, and secure healthcare ecosystem where data empowers better care, improved outcomes, and a healthier future for all.

5 Benefits Of Using Healthcare Access Management Systems

Below are the top five reasons why healthcare organizations should use access management systems and how they become convenience gatekeepers of mission-critical information. 

Protecting Patient Information 

“The World Health Organization (WHO) has emphasized the importance of digital healthcare security, urging healthcare providers to adopt secure access management technologies to protect patient privacy.” (Source: World Health Organization, “Global eHealth Observatory“)

One of the main benefits of using access management systems is to boost the organization’s cybersecurity. Nowadays, it is becoming increasingly common for hackers and bad actors to perform phishing attacks, ransomware, and other malware attacks on healthcare organizations, as these facilities rarely use proactive security protocols. As a result, access management can be the guard to safely keep the information by using multi-factor authentication, adding multiple layers of security, implementing single sign-on (SSO), eliminating multiple login point paradoxes, and more. 

Alarming rise in healthcare cyberattacks:

• 40% increase in healthcare data breaches in 2022 compared to 2021. (Source: HIPAA Journal )
• Average cost of a healthcare data breach in 2023: $10.10 million. (Source: Ponemon Institute)
• Healthcare industry lost $16.5 billion to cybercrime in 2022. (Source: Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA))

Supporting Strong Authentication Process 

Beyond keeping patient information secure, these access management systems provide various authentication methods, adding to a more significant form of data security and management. With these systems, healthcare organizations can include biometric authentication such as fingerprints, retina scans, voice recognition, and more, use of smart cards, proximity cards, One Time Password (OTP) tokens, and other forms of multi-factor authentication to make the system easily accessible yet secure. 

Automation & Streamlining Employee Workflows

With healthcare access management, employees have less burden on their shoulders by using automation to streamline the workflows, giving them ample time to handle external pressure on the ground. Likewise, these systems help in taking care of access-related activity, keeping the patient’s directory updated daily, and tracking shift changes and transfers. 

Reducing The Cost And Risk 

In 2022 a report was put out which showcased how the healthcare industry is losing 10.10 million dollars on average due to data breaches* (. This number is highest in comparison to the data breach cost of other industries. (Source: Ponemon Institute)

Data Breach Cost Comparison by Industry 

As a result, it has become vital to protect health information at all costs. With health access management, you get double the security at a reasonable amount. 

These systems allow combining all information in one place to keep everything in check and under the shield of security. Organizations can use a unified member or cloud-based database that increases operational efficiency while running at an affordable cost. 

Authentication Of Users On-Site & Remote Locations 

With these access management systems, organizations track the identity data from any data store in real time. In addition, healthcare workers can authenticate other users who are logging in from a remote location but are still team members of the organization. This leads to better accessibility to doctors, nurses, and other staff support working remotely to handle patients from their location away from the hospital. 

Furthermore, with better healthcare access management, doctors and healthcare staff will have much-improved outcomes as they can pinpoint health problems with higher efficiency and at a much earlier stage, making them treatable. Likewise, an excellent healthcare access management system will help doctors manage chronic conditions and instruct patients on changes to improve their quality of life.

Things You Need For Establishing a Healthcare Access Management System 

We have seen healthcare access management systems undergo significant transformations over the years. From taking records on paper to putting patient information in a cloud-based data warehouse, these access management systems have come a long way. 

As a result, if an organization aims to implement the latest access management system, it needs to meet the following requirements. Otherwise, the program might not provide its optimal output to healthcare workers. 

• Medical record data 
• Real-time data access 
• Patients and healthcare workers’ participation in providing their information
• Accessibility to share data over multiple computers 
• An added layer of data security.
• Public insights.
• Methods for keeping the patient’s identity secured. 

Conclusion 

Without a doubt, there is a need for comprehensive access management systems in healthcare. With the use of technologies like big data analytics, doctors will be able to provide much more accurate diagnoses of diseases which leads to building a custom effective prevention plan.

FAQS

What is healthcare access management?

Healthcare access management refers to systems and protocols used to control who can access patient health information within healthcare organizations. It ensures that only authorized individuals have access, protecting patient privacy and data security.

Why is healthcare access management important?

Healthcare data is highly sensitive, and data breaches can have severe consequences for patients. Healthcare access management safeguards this data by implementing strong authentication methods, access controls, and audit trails. It also minimizes unauthorized access and helps avoid costly penalties for non-compliance with data privacy regulations like HIPAA.

What are the benefits of using healthcare access management?

• Enhanced patient privacy and data security: Protects sensitive patient information from unauthorized access and potential breaches.
• Improved care coordination: Enables seamless sharing of medical records between authorized healthcare providers, allowing for faster diagnosis and treatment decisions.
• Increased operational efficiency: Streamlines workflows by automating access controls and reducing manual tasks, which frees up staff time for patient care.
• Reduced costs: Prevents data breaches and fines for non-compliance, and potentially improves operational efficiency, leading to cost savings.

What are some common features of healthcare access management systems?

• Multi-factor authentication: Requires additional verification steps beyond passwords, like fingerprint scans or one-time passwords, for stronger security.
• Role-based access control: Grants access permissions based on individual roles and responsibilities, ensuring access to only the necessary information.
• Audit trails: Tracks user activity and access attempts, enabling quick identification and investigation of potential security incidents.
• Data encryption: Encrypts sensitive data both at rest and in transit, protecting it from unauthorized access even if stolen.

How can healthcare organizations implement access management?

Many vendors offer healthcare access management software solutions. Choosing the right one depends on specific needs and budget. Additionally, organizations should establish clear policies and procedures for data access and user training to ensure proper system usage.