5 Reasons Healthcare Organizations Should Consider an Identity & Access Management Solution
Information security and privacy affect every healthcare organization. Implementing, managing, and controlling authentication, authorization, and access for different users across systems, applications, and information is often a major challenge. Given the sensitivity of the information and data collected by healthcare organizations, a high level of privacy and security is expected and required. Regulatory frameworks such as BIO, ISO 27001, NEN 7510, and GDPR set clear requirements. An Identity & Access Management (IAM) solution can make the difference in achieving these objectives.
#1: Protecting Patient Information
To deliver optimal care, clinicians must have accurate, up-to-date medical information, such as a current medication overview. The exchange of medical data is primarily electronic. Healthcare organizations must implement measures to securely store and exchange patient data.
There are many ways to secure this information and protect it against unauthorized access, such as recording and monitoring user activity, enforcing complex passwords, and moving from shared to individual accounts. While these controls are effective at protecting data, manually implementing them is costly. An IAM solution enables IT to streamline and automate these processes, which results in significant savings. This also helps healthcare organizations meet the requirements of NEN 7510 with ease.
#2: Staying Compliant
Visibility into all data flows is essential under the GDPR. Last year, a significant GDPR fine was issued in healthcare for poor security of patient records, as it could not be determined who had access to patient data. Precisely mapping how data flows within the organization is therefore required to remain compliant.
With Identity and Access Management, you define which end users can access specific data and applications, and which cannot. Tools4ever’s IAM software provides complete logging of which applications are used by whom, when, and from which location. As a result, healthcare organizations can comply with standards such as BIO, ISO 27001, NEN 7510, and GDPR.
#3: Managing Access
Determining who has access to which systems, applications, and information is often a major challenge. One of the most overlooked security risks is access creep when an employee accumulates excessive permissions due to role changes within the organization. This is also called rights accumulation. In addition, costly licenses often remain unnecessarily active, and former employees may still have access to their old accounts, with all associated risks.
By implementing an IAM solution, organizations can fully automate user access to systems, applications, and information. Account data and entitlements are automatically kept up to date, reducing unnecessary licensing costs and simplifying security audits.
#4: Reducing Human Error
Without a centralized IAM solution, authentication and authorization across technical platforms are usually managed manually by IT staff. Manual work increases the risk of errors, and in healthcare, even small mistakes can lead to substantial fines.
By automating the entire process with an IAM solution, organizations no longer need to manage data access rights manually. Changes are applied across the network immediately and accurately. IT staff spend far less time on routine tasks, reducing the risk of errors and freeing time for IT innovation.
#5: Two-Factor Authentication
Under the GDPR and the Supplementary Provisions for the Processing of Personal Data Act (Wabvpz), Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is mandatory for access to a hospital information system (HIS). This additional verification confirms a user’s identity with greater certainty, which limits the risk of misuse.
With Tools4ever’s IAM solution, users access all their business applications with Single Sign-On (SSO) and a one-time 2FA prompt. If multiple applications, such as Nedap ONS and AFAS Insite, use different 2FA methods, you can easily consolidate them into a single method. You can set access policies for the portal or specific applications based on department, location, time, and device.
Want to Learn More?
Tools4ever offers a secure, efficient, and user-friendly IAM solution at a low investment. We are happy to help you determine which IAM solution best fits your healthcare organization. Schedule an appointment today.