Health Information Technology – Protecting Patient Data 

Health Information Technology professional is assisting a patient in the hospital

The use of technology in healthcare has provided many benefits to the medical profession and has made it easier maintain and access patient information.  Health information technologies help to avoid medication errors, reduce the overall cost of healthcare, increase the efficiency of accessing and handling patient information and dramatically reduce the amount of paperwork that needs to be used to process patients. Cambridge College of Healthcare & Technology strives to provide an educational experience that provides students with in-demand skills that will allow them to be successful in a health information technology career. 

The most important aspect of health information technology is the protection of the patient. Current technologies provide safeguards to make sure that privacy is maintained and that everything is in compliance with mandatory regulations.  Not all technologies work the same and there are definitely ones that provide more safety features than others so healthcare organizations need to be careful when deciding what to use.

There are many different technologies that might be utilized by a healthcare organization and these technologies can be used in various ways to improve patient care and safety while increasing the efficiency in which care is provided.  The biggest and perhaps the most important aspect of health information technology would be electronic health records.  These have revolutionized how providers treat patients and how quickly care can be provided.  

While electronic health records have offered many benefits, unfortunately due the sensitive nature of the information stored, they are often vulnerable to security problems and the privacy and confidentiality of patient information are at risk.  Organizations should be concerned with making sure that patient data is strongly encrypted and that access is tightly controlled as well as being compliant with HIPAA.  

Cambridge College of Healthcare & Technology offers a flexible, online Health Information Technology Associate’s degree that can provide students with skills and knowledge to get an entry level position in this growing and dynamic field.  Courses in medical terminology and medical coding with give students the opportunity to learn about how to analyze and accurately transcribe patient information into electronic health records.  In addition, students will also learn about the best ways to protect critical patient information.

If you are thinking about pursuing a career in the Health Information Technology field consider Cambridge College.  Representatives are eagerly awaiting your call at 1-877-206-4279 or you can fill out an information request form here.  We look forward to speaking with you soon.

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