Meraz Nasir, director of technology services at Pompton Plains, N.J.-based Chilton Hospital, discussed how his hospital went about implementing single sign-on technology. In this Q&A, he covers why his organization decided to implement single sign-on, how the implementation went, and shares some of the lessons he learned throughout the process.

Earlier this month, the Ponemon Institute released a study titled “The Economic & Productivity Impact of IT Security on Healthcare” that aims to quantify the impact that the use of pagers and other outdated communication technologies has on healthcare. The research reveals that communication in healthcare lags behind other industries, in large part because of the perceived security and compliance risks associated with the use of smartphones and other modern technologies.

"As a physician, I experience first-hand the impact that internal communication at a hospital—both good and bad—has on patient care. If I am able to quickly access clinical systems, analyze patient information and collaborate with colleagues, I can diagnose and interact with the patient much more efficiently and effectively. Conversely, breakdowns and inefficiencies in the communications process can inhibit the delivery of quality patient care by bogging down workflows, creating delays and disrupting the care team’s collective thought process." - Sean Kelly, MD

Back in 2009, Imprivata was enjoying decent sales of its flagship tech product to banks, financial institutions and healthcare facilities. The Lexington, Mass.-based company's sign-on technology allows professionals to log in and out of multiple-user computer stations with the swipe of a card or fingerprint, without the time-sucking and less-than-secure method of logging in user names and passwords multiple times a day. Sales had increased 8 percent over the previous year, but CEO Omar Hussain thought they could be even better.

Last week, the FDA issued guidance to improve cybersecurity efforts in healthcare, warning that computer viruses could “affect how a medical device operates” and potentially expose personal health information. The memo provides general recommendations to both medical device manufacturers and healthcare facilities about how to defend against malware and other threats.

The FDA has issued an alert on protecting medical devices from malware and cyber-threats. The Department of Homeland Security delivered a similar warning. With malware capable of impacting hospital systems and implantable devices in danger of being hacked, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a "safety communication" to warn hospitals and medical device manufacturers about cyber-threats.

St Helens & Knowsley Health Informatics Service (StHK HIS) supports many NHS organisations including two acute teaching hospitals, 85 GP surgeries and a number of community and mental healthcare providers, with a user base of over 14,000 individuals.

Early this week, we announced that KLAS has once again ranked Imprivata at the leader in the single sign-on category. While Imprivata has received a number of additional awards and industry recognition, the KLAS rankings are particularly important because they reflect the voice of the customer.

Literally.