Clinicians and patients can join virtual sessions with simple setups, such as mobile phones, tablets and laptops. Many providers, however, prefer more robust arrangements, such as multiple monitors that make it easier to simultaneously use the videoconferencing platform, enter notes into the EHR and consult images or other materials.

Audiovisual technologies can enhance the quality of the experience significantly through stand-alone cameras and microphones that allow physicians to create a mini-studio from which to provide care. For other virtual care services, such as eICUs and telesitting, digital cameras are essential, allowing clinicians and sitters, respectively, to remotely observe several patients at once. 

In eICU rooms, caregivers in a command center can observe patients on multiple monitors via high-definition, pan-tilt-zoom cameras in patients’ rooms. Locating clinicians within the command center not only extends the reach of critical-care staff, but also allows them to make more data-driven decisions about care — for example, using platforms that analyze data from several sources to identify trends and alert clinicians when patients need attention.

PTZ cameras expand clinicians’ ability to monitor patients closely for longer than they could if they physically had to visit each room. The quality of PTZ cameras allows for extremely close observation, enabling clinicians in the command center to observe a patient’s pupils or read a prescription bottle. Cameras may be augmented with monitors to facilitate two-way video communication.

Remote patient monitoring is increasingly reliant on connected biomedical devices to facilitate oversight and report health markers to clinicians. These devices may transmit data directly to the provider or to the cloud, or the patient may share data with the provider directly. 

Despite the development of medical-specific technologies, a survey by the COVID-19 Telehealth Impact Study Work Group found that the primary remote sensor technology that physicians use to support patients in virtual care is simply a smartphone camera. Other primary devices include blood pressure cuffs, body weight scales, pulse oximeters, smartphone microphones, thermometers and heart rate monitors.

The pandemic intensified cybersecurity concerns throughout the healthcare industry. Organizations faced multiple challenges: new threats, an expanded attack surface and new vulnerabilities, including remote employees, rapid expansion of virtual care and suspension of certain HIPAA requirements for telehealth.

For cybercriminals seeking to sell data on the dark web, medical records are among the most lucrative targets. Hackers quickly adapted their attacks to the operating environment of the pandemic. In addition to increased phishing attacks, they seek to exploit vulnerabilities in the devices, networks and software used for telehealth services.

The risks are especially high when employees are using disparate tools and inconsistent procedures in nascent programs that have not yet established strong security controls — exactly the type of environment in which many telehealth programs expanded during the crisis. In addition to deploying the appropriate security solutions, organizations must ensure every employee is well trained in security best practices, particularly how to identify and avoid phishing attacks.

Virtual care should be subject to data encryption at rest and in transit. Remote monitoring devices, together with devices used for telehealth, virtual rounding and eICUs, should have regular software updates to ensure that patches are installed appropriately. Networking controls and best practices, such as multifactor authentication, should be in place for all virtual care solutions.

Providers should expect the suspension of HIPAA enforcement in connection with services deployed during the pandemic to be temporary. In the future, these will be subject to the same HIPAA compliance as the rest of the organization.

Finally, it is important to remember that patients are also cognizant of privacy and cybersecurity when it comes to their medical records. Hospitals enjoy a relatively high level of trust among consumers, 84 percent of whom trust hospitals “some” or “very much” to keep their digital information safe, Accenture found. But that percentage drops for other areas of healthcare, such as nonmedical staff at doctor’s and provider’s offices (63 percent). These perceptions matter as consumers begin to seek out providers offering more comprehensive digital services.