Why are Identity and Access Management Essential in Healthcare?
Globally, there has been an increasing focus on the healthcare sector, with stronger regulatory laws enforced. Due to data breaches and increased security threats, Identity and Access Management services have become a significant game-changer for establishing security, data protection, and automating processes.
Hence, employee training is an essential aspect of healthcare administration; it is mandatory to train staff members in relevant tools to help them efficiently manage patient data and sensitive information.
Healthcare Identity and Access Management (IAM) has emerged as a great way to ensure data security is not jeopardized during daily operations. Hospital authorities have adapted IAM to ensure controlled and secure access to patient records, administrative information, medical reports, and files.
Five steps to establish Healthcare Identity and Access Management (IAM)
While IAM has numerous facets across various healthcare processes, an organization must create an initial strategy via planning, operational function, and implementation methods.
By envisioning a roadmap for enhancing the IAM methodology, organizations can ensure lower cybersecurity breaches, minimal maintenance, and smooth program functioning.
First, IAM should be implemented in small phases rather than aiming to launch a full-fledged plan overnight. IAM is a continually evolving journey – to initiate this process, here are five steps we bring forward:
Step 1: Assessing the current scenario
The first step should be to assess and analyze the current data, system, procedures, people, process flows, applications, and roles. It will help create a clear picture and determine your organization’s standing concerning IAM.
The next step would be to focus on different aspects of IAM, i.e., federation, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), Single Sign-On (SSO), and delegated administration, and understand where the organization stands and which aspect should be given priority.
Another critical move would be to increase organizational Identity Lifecycle Management (ILM) maturity. This is primarily about automating identity processes across the organization—creating and managing user identities, removing identities, and ending user access. Most healthcare organizations falter at providing third-party vendors and contractors access via firewalls.
Step 2: The right vision and a road map
After identifying and analyzing the various systems and processes, the next step is to build a strategy for implementation and include milestones for measuring the plan’s effectiveness.
Building touchpoints with the team, connecting with the key stakeholders, and measuring progress via KPIs and relevant data is essential.
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Step 3: Creating a plan
This stage involves inventorying all available resources, business impact, financial plans, and technologies. It also involves fleshing out the roadmap, incorporating timelines and milestones, and carving out the scope for adjustments if required.
It is also an excellent phase for understanding the amount of investment required for implementation and the different priorities that need to be considered.
Step 4: Execution
This stage involves executing various phases of the IAM program and understanding the integration across the new system or technology ties with other systems. Before IAM implementation, specific steps need to be taken or could be challenging in the future.
Hence, execution, measuring the ROI, and understanding the full impact is essential for ensuring the IAM program’s efficiency.
Step 5: Measuring ROI
This step is crucial to understanding whether the IAM maturity level planned for this phase of the program has been achieved. An assessment would involve addressing any issues, stepping back to check the implementation, and making adjustments accordingly.
To accomplish the vision, the next step would be to identify the next level of IAM maturity and pool the required resources to complete it.
Veritis IT Managed Service Provider: PowerPoint PPT
How, at Veritis, do we help you
Through Veritis’ IAM approach, you can achieve your organizational goal of digital transformation, enable secure access for end-users, and enhance your identity management program.
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