The hidden secret behind hospital security flaws

A complex infrastructure with multiple vulnerabilities

Hospital information systems (HIS) present a particular complexity, because unlike other sectors which sometimes develop their own applications in-house, hospitals generally depend on numerous specialized software publishers. This outsourcing implies increased management of interoperability between these different solutions, which often come from separate suppliers.

CIOs have to juggle this multitude of software while integrating complex workflows, which increases vulnerabilities in terms of medical data security. What’s more, these systems must comply with strict standards, such as RGPD and medical confidentiality, making the integration of all these solutions even more difficult.

Workflow integration: a crucial challenge for hospitals

EAI (Enterprise Application Integration) plays a central role in managing flows between patient record management applications, laboratories and administrative departments. However, loopholes often appear due to faulty synchronization or interoperability problems. These errors lead to additional delays and expose hospitals to the risk of shadow IT, where unofficial solutions are used to compensate for weaknesses in existing systems.

The Electronic Patient Record: a technological advance with many challenges

The Electronic Patient Record (EPR) is a key component of the HIS. It centralizes all medical information, from consultations to hospitalizations. However, in order to comply with legal obligations, notably the Shared Medical Record (DMP), information must be shared between applications. Managing this transition remains a complex task, creating duplicates or errors in patient identities. This weakens medical data security management and raises questions about RGPD compliance.

Security: a perpetual challenge in hospitals

IT security in hospitals is regularly put to the test, not least because of the often obsolete medical-technical equipment. Devices running on older operating systems, such as Windows XP, are particularly vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Hackers target these weaknesses, causing critical service interruptions to patient care.

Patient misidentification, due to poor identity management, also jeopardizes the security of sensitive data. Identito-vigilance, the monitoring of patient identities, is essential to avoid these errors. Hospitals need to rely on robust tools to ensure that data is segregated and secure.

The challenges of RGPD compliance in hospitals

With the implementation of the RGPD, healthcare data management has taken on an even more critical dimension. Sensitive medical data must be stored securely on HDS servers (Healthcare Data Hosts), and its processing must comply with the strict requirements of the regulations. System integration, and the management of information flows, remain an ongoing challenge to maintain compliance.

How Carto-SI can revolutionize HIS management

Carto-SI offers an innovative solution for hospitals, simplifying the mapping of hospital information systems. By centralizing information and facilitating data feedback, Carto-SI provides better visibility of software flows and versions.

Thanks to precise mapping, it becomes possible to track scripts created via unofficial solutions (shadow IT) and identify security flaws before they cause major interruptions. Mapping EAI flows and optimizing processes not only enhances the security of medical data, but also facilitates the integration of different services.

Conclusion: a more secure future thanks to better mapping

The real secret to securing hospital information systems lies in rigorous mapping and centralization of critical information flows. With Carto-SI, hospitals can effectively secure and structure their data, while complying with RGPD standards. By improving CIO management, medical data security and regulatory compliance, this tool becomes indispensable for guaranteeing a high-performance, secure HIS.