As in many industries, healthcare organizations are finding that employee expectations of technology are rising as millennials and Generation Z employees replace retiring workers. These younger healthcare professionals grew up with mobility, and they expect to be able to use mobile devices and apps to do virtually all aspects of their jobs.

I have a unique perspective on healthcare cybersecurity, having spent the beginning of my professional career as a practicing nurse and later moving into cybersecurity consulting. That perspective helps me critically examine the security programs at the many hospitals, physicians and other provider offices that I visit as part of my CDW practice. During conversations with healthcare IT teams, I’ve identified three crucial best practices to protect patient information: vulnerability assessments, penetration tests and incident response playbooks.

Let’s explore each of these critical topics.

In my role as product manager at CDW for emerging technologies, I work with vendors that are producing some amazing new solutions. Many of these products are being taken up by emergency response and public safety organizations.

When it comes to emergency response, technologies such as drones and augmented reality (AV) and virtual reality (VR) are capable of assisting frontline workers in safely executing their tasks. Healthcare professionals and first responders can leverage those same technologies to maintain social distance and support early detection of contamination, and can also use mobile devices to stay in contact with non-urgent medical patients. Read about more use cases for emerging technologies.

Many health risks facing older adults are simple problems with complex solutions. These health risks have only been amplified as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Falls are a great example of this. Every 19 minutes, an older adult dies from a fall. While falls aren’t entirely preventable, senior living and care communities can lower the risk in a number of ways. One way is the adoption of smart home solutions that make it easier for seniors to navigate their environments.

Explore smart home solutions and learn three more ways that a robust IT infrastructure is integral to supporting senior care.

IT support is critical for smaller hospital and healthcare providers facing major challenges in delivering care and sourcing necessary equipment. Tom Stafford, chief technology officer for CDW Healthcare and former CIO of Halifax Health, recently hosted a panel discussion detailing what healthcare leaders are doing to prepare for business disruptions as a result of the current health crisis. This discussion featured health system directors, along with practice leads from CDW Healthcare.

Healthcare is facing unprecedented challenges in delivering care right now. IT support is key as hospitals and care providers grapple with evolving threats and difficulties in sourcing necessary equipment. Tom Stafford, chief technology officer for CDW Healthcare and former CIO of Halifax Health, recently hosted a panel discussion detailing what healthcare CIOs and directors are doing to prepare for business disruptions as a result of the current health crisis. This discussion featured current and former health system CIOs and directors, along with practice leads from CDW Healthcare.