Information technology has played an important role in enhancing the quality of care that medical practitioners deliver (Hussung, 2015). Despite this, there are some challenges that practitioners encounter in their efforts to integrate information technology into service delivery. One of these challenges is obtaining support and cooperation from concerned stakeholders. In this essay, the case of Kim Monroe who has struggled in her efforts to obtain work IDs for contract nurses is examined.
Security violations
There are a number of security violations that are evident in the case. The first is the failure by the IT department to issue the contract nurses with IDs. This is a security violation because it hindered the contract nurses from delivering services. Additionally, there is some likelihood that another individual who is not employed by the facility to impersonate the contract nurses since they do not have IDs. Another violation was committed by Monroe. She shared her logon information with the contract nurses. This is a violation because the contract nurses could have easily stolen confidential information and it would be impossible to hold them accountable.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Handling the situation
The information technology department is entirely responsible for the security violations. Had it issued the contract nurses with IDs in good time, Monroe would never have been forced to take drastic measures. As the information security officer, I would handle the situation by allowing Monroe and her contract nurses to continue to share the logon credentials as I worked to ensure that the nurses were provided with their own IDs. I think that this solution will ensure that service delivery is not interrupted and that the nurses obtain IDs.
Approach when reporting to IT director
It is possible that the case may find its way to the IT director. As I report the case to the IT director, my main priority will be to highlight the failures of the IT department. The department has repeatedly failed to issue the contract nurses with IDs in good time and this has rendered them without work. In my discussion with the IT director, I will also point out the commitment to patient health that Monroe demonstrated. She placed her job and the security of patient information on the line so as to ensure that no patient suffered unnecessarily.
In conclusion, the case of Monroe underscores the challenges that practitioners grapple with as they seek to improve healthcare delivery through technology. While some of these challenges are complex and difficult to solve, most are the result of human error and weakness. There are measures that can be taken to ensure that patients are not denied the benefits of information technology. One of these measures involves boosting information security.
Reference
Hussung, T. (2015). Digitizing Healthcare: How Technology is Improving Health Care. Retrieved 6 th June 2017 from http://online.king.edu/healthcare/digitizing-healthcare-how-technology-is-improving-medical-care/
