What Healthcare Need To Know About Windows 10
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
Microsoft is targeting healthcare with increased security capabilities and familiarity.
There is increasing pressure on healthcare organizations to move to EHRs resulting in new emphasis on the integration between the medical field and software systems. Software companies are now placing greater attention on making their products more appealing to the healthcare industry.
Microsoft recently released Windows 10, a new operating system that includes a number of features tailored specifically for healthcare settings and clinicians. Among these benefits are increased security capabilities and familiarity.
“With Windows 10, we aim to meet and exceed the needs of health professionals so that they can work more efficiently, improve care and extend the reach of clinical services beyond hospital walls. We listened to your feedback about Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 and we are confident that Windows 10 will help drive mobile health forward,” Neil Jordan, Microsoft’s worldwide general manager for the health sector, wrote on the company’s blog.
According to Healthcare IT News, Microsoft’s goal is to upgrade systems currently running Windows 7 and 8 in the coming weeks and follow that with Windows 10 Mobile later this year. Ultimately, Microsoft also intends Windows 10 to serve as the operating system for a range of Internet of Things devices, including its own Surface Hub conference systems and HoloLens holographic glasses.
Heightened Security
Windows 10 is the most secure Windows system to date, responding to the demands for improved cyber security in healthcare. Data protection is central to the new system, and healthcare professions can replace traditional passwords with more secure options like biometrics or hardware-based multi-factor credentials to better protect sensitive patient information. The new Device Guard and Secure Boot serve to block outside attacks by limiting devices to trusted software. Credential Guard stores login credentials only in the hardware, adding another layer of protection.
Mobile Health Engagement
According to Microsoft, Windows 10 was created with health-centric functions designed to drive mobile health forward in order to extend the reach and improve the quality of patient care. New features optimize apps in both touch and desktop modes, allowing healthcare providers to access EMR systems efficiently; interact with various devices; and connect with other providers regardless of location. And the system will also have the ability to “snap together” apps, giving providers the ability to perform tasks like viewing a patient’s EMR data right next to a home health app.
Patient Engagement
Healthcare providers also need ways to promote patient engagement, and Windows 10 helps there, too. The new platform connects new platforms and devices that will extend chronic disease management and long-term care to the home, allowing patients to more proactively manage their own wellness. Integration with existing software and systems also provides healthcare professionals with the ability to connect with patients remotely via secure chat, test, video and voice options. Easy access and usability means patients will be encouraged to be more actively engaged with their healthcare at each point in their wellness journey.
Worry-Free Transition
Because Windows 10 is very familiar, Microsoft assures that healthcare organizations will need little to no user training to upgrade from earlier versions of Windows. Microsoft encourages health organizations to start evaluating, piloting and deploying Windows 10 today.