Technology has measurably improved the quality of life in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Advances such as voice-activated convenience devices and wearable health monitors have relieved numerous burdens on seniors and caregivers alike. Nevertheless, the wellbeing of residents demands a clear-eyed look at the disadvantages of technology in healthcare settings.
New Tech Brings New Risks
By now, care facility managers understand that each new technology rollout brings a fresh set of headaches:
- Intrusion points for cybercriminals
- Software bugs
- Hardware failures
With an eye on these consequences, some prudent steps are in order.
New Tech Risk Reduction Strategies
These measures should be part of a technology upgrade action plan:
- Work with the facility’s insurance agent to assure that cyber liability coverage is in place before introducing new devices or software.
- Similarly, consult with legal counsel to see if the new implementation creates an unacceptable risk of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act violations.
- Select hardware and software vendors who have shown a proven – underline proven – rapid response capability for resolving outages and breaches.
- Have a procedure in place to quickly call up additional caregiving staff if resident safety systems go offline.
Balancing the visible benefits of new healthcare technology with the unseen risks is a daunting challenge. Helping nursing homes and assisted living facilities to walk that tightwire is a primary mission for insurance professionals.