Electronic Healthcare Information Security

verfasst von: Professor Charles A. Shoniregun, Dr. Kudakwashe Dube, Dr. Fredrick Mtenzi

Verlag: Springer US

Buchreihe : Advances in Information Security

Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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Über dieses Buch

The adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in healthcare is driven by the need to contain costs while maximizing quality and efficiency. However, ICT adoption for healthcare information management has brought far-reaching effects and implications on the spirit of the Hippocratic Oath, patient privacy and confidentiality. A wave of security breaches have led to pressing calls for opt-in and opt-out provisions where patients are free to choose to or not have their healthcare information collected and recorded within healthcare information systems. Such provisions have negative impact on cost, efficiency and quality of patient care. Thus determined efforts to gain patient trust is increasingly under consideration for enforcement through legislation, standards, national policy frameworks and implementation systems geared towards closing gaps in ICT security frameworks. The ever-increasing healthcare expenditure and pressing demand for improved quality and efficiency in patient care services are driving innovation in healthcare information management. Key among the main innovations is the introduction of new healthcare practice concepts such as shared care, evidence-based medicine, clinical practice guidelines and protocols, the cradle-to-grave health record and clinical workflow or careflow. Central to these organizational re-engineering innovations is the widespread adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) at national and regional levels, which has ushered in computer-based healthcare information management that is centred on the electronic healthcare record (EHR).

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

Chapter 1. Introduction to e-Healthcare Information Security

Abstract

The e-Healthcare information offers unique security, privacy and confidentiality challenges that require a fresh examination of the mainstream concepts and approaches to information security. The significance of security and privacy in e- Healthcare information raised the issues of individual consent, confidentiality and privacy, which are the main determinants in adopting and successful utilising the e-Healthcare information. Current trends in the domain of e-Healthcare information management point to the need for comprehensive incorporation of security, privacy and confidentiality safeguards within the review of e-Healthcare information management frameworks and approaches. This raises major challenges that demands holistic approaches spanning a wide variety of legal, ethical, psychological, information and security engineering. This introductory chapter explores information security and challenges facing e-Healthcare information management.

Charles A. Shoniregun, Kudakwashe Dube, Fredrick Mtenzi

Chapter 2. Securing e-Healthcare Information

Abstract

Securing personal e-Healthcare information aims mainly at protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the individual who receives healthcare services that are delivered through e-Health. Advances in security technologies have so far not eliminated the challenge posed by the need to secure e-Healthcare information. The rate of privacy and confidentiality breaches continue to increase unabated. These breaches pose challenges to all domains that converge on the task of securing information and building trust in e-Healthcare information management. Only a holistic approach that positions itself at the point of convergence of the domains of law, organisational policy, professional ethics and IT security could offer the promise to mitigate, if not eliminate, the major challenges to securing e-Healthcare information.

Charles A. Shoniregun, Kudakwashe Dube, Fredrick Mtenzi

Chapter 3. Laws and Standards for Secure e-Healthcare Information

Abstract

The legal developments in healthcare have been driven by the public concern for personal privacy and confidentiality within the context of an increasingly connected world centred on the Internet. The developments in standardisation within e-Healthcare have been influenced by the two key paradigms of patient-centred and managed care that necessitated demands for lowering costs and increasing quality of patient care. The technical challenge of these paradigm shifts is inter-operability for supporting the delivery of care at multiple locations by multiple carers who need to share the patient health record.

Charles A. Shoniregun, Kudakwashe Dube, Fredrick Mtenzi

Chapter 4. Secure e-Healthcare Information Systems

Abstract

The e-Healthcare information systems (e-HIS) are, by nature, network-based and internet-enabled. In the developed countries, e-HIS typically operate in regional networks and international health management organisations and trusts. Therefore, e-HIS must meet the requirements of new emerging paradigms and international organisational phenomenon. These requirements include the support for distribution, cooperation and communication. However, the success and acceptance of e- HIS may not be guaranteed in the absence of security and privacy service components, incorporation of standards-based interoperability that takes into account the legal, ethical and organisational policy provision. The typical e-HIS are e- Healthcare record systems (EHR systems) and electronic-personal healthcare record systems (EPHR systems). The EHR systems are created, maintained by clinicians and healthcare organisations, while EPHR systems are created, maintained and controlled, at least in theory, by the individual subject of the health information. The concept of the EHRs is fairly older than the concept of EPHR, which is emerging coupled with the patient-centred paradigm. Consequently, the EHR systems are fairly established as compared to EPHR systems which are starting to be introduced.

Charles A. Shoniregun, Kudakwashe Dube, Fredrick Mtenzi

Chapter 5. Towards a Comprehensive Framework for Secure e-Healthcare Information

Abstract

The world is witnessing escalation in security and privacy breaches in e-Healthcare, despite advances in information security and privacy enhancing technologies. The international drive to introduce healthcare information privacy protection laws has not led to the abatement of security and privacy breaches. The emergence of a wide variety of standards has not brought e-Healthcare close to the securing of e- Healthcare information and protecting patient privacy. Escalating increase in pervasive computing devices in an increasingly wireless networked environment has created a conducive breeding infrastructure for security and privacy breach attacks in e-Healthcare. It would, therefore, seem to be necessary and worthwhile to seek for a comprehensive framework that allows for a more holistic provision of security and privacy protection. It would seem to be logical that such a framework would have based on a convergence of the key drivers to e-Healthcare information privacy and security. Such key drivers are crucial and determining factors in the protection of privacy and security of e-Healthcare information. Privacy protection laws, organisational policy, human factors, paradigmatic developments in the healthcare domain, governance and leadership, and advances in the IT security and computing technology are some of the key drivers to the provision of security and the protection of privacy.

Charles A. Shoniregun, Kudakwashe Dube, Fredrick Mtenzi

Chapter 6. Towards a Unified Security Evaluation Framework for e-Healthcare Information Systems

Abstract

The domain of security engineering has developed some agreed core concepts but it lacks comprehensive framework. This could be seen to be particularly the case for e-Healthcare information systems. Evaluation deals with how other people can be convinced that security and privacy protection measures that have been put in place will work. Anderson has defined evaluation of systems as the process of assembling evidence that a system meets, or fails to meet, a prescribed assurance target and identifies two main purposes, which are: to convince one’s superiors that work has been done and completed in compliance with standards and laws and to reassure people who will rely on a product or system. Evaluation is a function of the question of whether the system will actually work, which is termed assurance (Anderson and Cardell, 2008). Thus, the lower the likelihood, the higher the assurance there can be and the higher the likelihood, the less the assurance there can be. This chapter explores the solutions and technologies currently available for evaluating security and privacy problems in e-Healthcare information systems.

Charles A. Shoniregun, Kudakwashe Dube, Fredrick Mtenzi

Chapter 7. Discussions

Abstract

The essential functions of e-Healthcare information systems are to facilitate health information and data processing, diagnostic test result management, order entry management, treatment decisions, electronic communications and connectivity, patient education and monitoring, scheduling and billing, and clinical data collection. The e-Healthcare information systems will bridge the gap between the discovery of new treatments and medical practice.

Charles A. Shoniregun, Kudakwashe Dube, Fredrick Mtenzi

Backmatter

Titel: Electronic Healthcare Information Security
verfasst von: Professor Charles A. Shoniregun
Dr. Kudakwashe Dube
Dr. Fredrick Mtenzi
Verlag: Springer US
Electronic ISBN: 978-0-387-84919-5
Print ISBN: 978-0-387-84817-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-84919-5