Clearly the scope of the comment is limited. Doctor-to-patient, or vice versa, isn’t affected because it does not involve orders and the senders are known (so my doctors and I can text each other; hear ZocDoc and many practices breathe huge sighs of relief.) But it does add another heaped helping (there on the plate all along) for the hospital (and practice) IT folks already in a state of overwhelm with securing multiple mobile devices.
The mobilization of the practice/hospital rolls forward: Ottawa [Canada] Hospital’s seemingly cheerful experience with a three-hospital, 2,800 iPad rollout at a C$4 million spend. (‘The iPad Revolution’ paper available here, registration required.)
Meanwhile, the hackers just find more ways to get in; text message malware loading on smart/feature phones without the necessary security to fend them off, smart grid hacking, etc. More on the usual dread including Carrier IQ: Four rising threats from cybercriminals. Infoworld Security Central. Some in a place called Washington DC, initials HHS and FCC, will probably find a reason why to intervene, and stop the clock on promising developments once again. But certainly there is opportunity here to create solutions, which of course have to evade hackers all over the world. Ed. Donna