Devon Health to Offer Secure, HIPAA-Compliant Laptop for Healthcare Industry

SafeBook™ to Advance Security, Mobility of Healthcare IT KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Devon Health today announced the availability of SafeBook™, a HIPAA-compliant laptop that enables secure mobile computing, for its provider network. Devon Health Services, Inc., is a National Healthcare Cost Management company and the Northeast’s most extensive Preferred Provider Organization (PPO). Reports indicate that in 2005, over 100 significant data security breaches affecting nearly 56 million individuals were reported by businesses and healthcare facilities in the United States. Additions made to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), passed in 1996, require strict confidentiality of patient information. This has become increasingly difficult for healthcare professionals who are under tremendous pressure to keep patient data private, especially with the movement towards electronic health records the constant threat of hackers and data breaches. “Security of patient information is a primary concern of every healthcare professional,” says Charles Falcone, president of Devon Health. “Significant laptop thefts at federal agencies and recent hacker incidents at children’s hospitals and various other healthcare facilities have been well-publicized. These threats, coupled with the constant challenge of maintaining HIPAA-compliance, form the need for secure computing in healthcare.” The SafeBook is a mobile “thin client” laptop that has no hard drive to store data. HIPAA-protected patient data and all applications are instead saved on a hospital or physician’s office server, and can only be accessed by authorized users. This secures user information in case of laptop thefts or losses, equipment damage, or personal data breeches, and virtually eliminates spyware, viruses, and end-user errors. SafeBook is less expensive than most laptops on the market, requires little IT maintenance, and provides users with the familiar experience of a notebook PC. “Thin client computing is a staple in corporate America because of its security, manageability, and low cost of ownership - features that are similarly important in today’s healthcare community,” says Joe Makoid, president of Devon IT. “Our skyrocketing demand from healthcare entities has shown that thin clients are quickly becoming the preferred way for healthcare IT departments to achieve and enhance HIPAA-compliance. We look forward to offering this ideal combination of data access, portability, and security to Devon Health providers and all types of healthcare organizations.” “We recommend that healthcare IT departments and providers consider implementing the technology of SafeBook as a cost-effective way to create a secure computing network,” says Falcone. Posted by Bruce Cornett on 11/27/06; 10:42:54 AM from the HIPAA News dept. Discuss