Healthcare cybersecurity’s future: Insight into trust, innovation and partnerships
Leading voices demonstrate that advances in information technology and related enhancements raise the stakes on ensuring data is protected and secure.
In a rapidly transforming healthcare landscape, the confluence of digital advancements, cybersecurity concerns and genuine business partnerships is reshaping the industry.
In an enlightening discussion featured in "Beyond the Rankings," Mitchell Josephson, CEO of Health Data Management brought together industry stalwarts, Tom Walsh and Adam Gale, to reflect on this evolving dynamic.
Adam Gale, CEO of KLAS, recalled the days when patient records were trapped within manila folders.
Rewards, but new risks
"We're way past that today," he asserted, painting a picture of an industry that’s undergone a massive digital overhaul. However, there's still more ground to cover. "We're just not where we know, we could be."
As Gale pointed out, the future promises wonders such as the use of ambient speech in healthcare and the transformation of doctors into "super physicians" through data aggregation. This shift would enable medical professionals to base their decisions on real-time data rather than solely relying on knowledge from the past.
In parallel with this digital surge, the cybersecurity landscape is undergoing a revolution. Tom Walsh, the CEO of tw-Security, a firm spotlighted in the 2023 Best in KLAS report, recollected the industry's initial unawareness of the importance of information security.
Today, the script has flipped, with concerns about cybersecurity, data privacy and information security dominating boardroom discussions. Walsh emphasized the industry's oscillating relationship with technology, candidly stating, “Then, along came the cloud, ‘Don’t put any of your data in the cloud.’ And now it's changed to, ‘Put everything in the cloud.’ ”
Breach concerns
Beyond just technological changes, both Gale and Walsh emphasized the pain the industry experiences during data breaches. Gale stressed the significance of balance in data handling, maintaining that readiness is essential, but full preparedness remains an elusive goal.
Walsh's perspective matches Gale's, advocating for a tempered approach to new tools, urging the healthcare sector to use them judiciously instead of outright rejection.
Building culture
At the heart of tw-Security's success is a business culture founded on trust. Walsh candidly shared his approach, emphasizing genuine relationships over bureaucratic hurdles. "I never really thought about culture. I just acted upon the culture and conducted business internally and externally with kind of the same approach."
This trust-centric view manifests in the organization’s unique hiring policy where customers often transition to employees, captivated by the company's ethos. Their principle is simple: "Treat people with respect, empathy, and kindness."
Building on this foundation of trust, the conversation navigated towards understanding the essence of partnerships in today's digital age. "We succeed when you succeed," Walsh articulated, underscoring the importance of mutual success. His firm steers clear of long-winding contracts, choosing to operate as an integral part of their client's team.
Gale's reflections mirrored this sentiment, making a distinction between superficial partnerships and ones rooted in shared victories. "Success is only when you win," Gale stressed, emphasizing the industry's need for this mindset.
In elaborating on partnerships, Walsh classified them into two groups – with customers and with collaborative firms. To him, with customers, it's about alignment and understanding. With collaborative firms, it's about shared values and genuine collaboration over mere transactions. In closing, as the digital transformation tide rises in healthcare, genuine partnerships, driven by trust and mutual success, stand out as the anchor. As the industry forges ahead, the insights shared by these thought leaders act as guiding beacons, signaling a future that's promising, innovative and secure.