In my first two blogs I discussed consumers’ growing interest in getting their healthcare information digitally. This has been challenging for healthcare providers and insurers alike as they struggle to meld accessibility with security and privacy. In this blog I will address two areas of particular importance to consumers:

  • Inserting their own healthcare history and data into tables to help evaluate options.
  • Sharing their healthcare options and information with others — such as college students sharing healthcare options with their parents who pay for it — across electronic devices.

It is difficult for many consumers to understand all the healthcare options available to them. So when evaluating their options, many would like to share the information with others who can provide input or approval. Sharing information with trusted advisors before we make decisions is an increasingly important component of how American consumers make decisions today.

Thus, healthcare CIOs face the technology dilemma of enabling consumers to share healthcare service options with others as they try to determine what is right for them or for family members. Today’s healthcare decisions are complex, ranging from issues around aging parents, to selecting the right specialist, to determining whether it is wiser to go with high deductibles or increased monthly premiums. The list can go on and on. And besides enabling consumers to share this information, CIOs are faced with the challenge of enabling consumers to insert their own healthcare information to help make these decisions.

These challenges require safe information storage capabilities including process management, relevant technologies and appropriate permissions in order to be securely shared by consumers with others. Healthcare organizations put significant focus on organizing and presenting complex healthcare information so that it is accurate and relevant. When consumers start inputting their own data and sharing this information, healthcare organizations need to:

  • Insure the integrity of the content as it moves between people and devices.
  • Provide safe information storage and sharing capabilities including: encryption key management; identity verification; access logging; and audit and alerting to enable secure PII/PHI sharing by consumers.

The technology solutions for these conveniences are difficult and/or expensive to execute. Coherent Solutions has been working with healthcare providers and payers for over twenty years to create solutions for these kind of difficult issues. Using the most advanced new development and deployment tools like cloud infrastructure and on-line communities, we help CIOs navigate the challenging environment they live every day.