Text Messaging and Communication

¶ … messaging has become a common method of communication in the modern society because of the proliferation of mobile phones and Internet-based instant messaging platforms. Text messaging has permeated nearly every facet of the society including the healthcare sector where medical personnel utilize it to relay patient information. The increased use of text messaging in the healthcare sector is attributable to the fact that medical personnel are increasingly looking for measures for improved collaboration towards better patient outcomes. Even though text messaging enhances collaboration, the problem is it's unsecured and characterized by security risks and concerns.

Using risk analysis and gap analysis approach, a SWOT analysis is carried out to examine the significance of text messaging in clinical communication with regards to its impact on medical personnel and patients. The strengths of text messaging in clinical communication include improved collaboration between medical personnel, seamless and smooth communication between medical personnel, and effectiveness in promoting health habits. On the contrary, the weaknesses include unsecure nature of text messaging, increased complexity of mobile security needs, and failure to record vital health information. The opportunities of text messaging are encrypted texting, use of authentication controls, and utilizing an application policy. The threats of the use text messaging in healthcare include probable extension of text messaging ban and threats of data breaches, security hacks, and violation of legal provisions.

In light of these factors, the most suitable solution to the problem of unsecured text messaging in clinical communication is encrypted texting. This is a suitable solution that ensures increased use of text messaging in healthcare while preventing access of patient information by unauthorized persons.

Unsecured Data Messaging

One of the most dominant or common means of communication in the modern society is text messaging as the volume of text messages exceeds voice calls volume in the United States since 2008. The rapid increase in the volume of text messages is attributable to the wide proliferation of smartphones and Internet-based instant messaging services on these devices (Mortier, Mellette & Williamsburg, 2015). The increased use of text messages has permeated nearly every facet of the society including the healthcare sector. Many healthcare providers are increasingly relying on text messaging and Internet-based instant messaging services on these devices in clinical communication. The various stakeholders such as physicians and nurses in the healthcare sector are using text messaging to transmit patient care information. The use of text messaging in the healthcare sector is viewed as a solution to the challenge of offering patients and healthcare providers with direct communication during patient care. However, the use of text messaging in clinical communication has generated concerns regarding the security, unauthorized access and maintaining privacy of patient information.

Statement of the Problem, Situation, and Issue

Healthcare providers are increasingly looking for better measures to collaborate with each other given the increased demands and regulations for improved delivery of patient care services and better patient outcomes. These stakeholders have resorted to using text messaging in clinical information since it has become the most often used communication means. Healthcare providers and other medical personnel continue to use text messages to transmit patient information with a view of enhancing collaboration towards the realization of better patient outcomes. However, this practice has generated several concerns relating to the safety of text messaging as a communication method in the clinical setting. Medical personnel are facing concerns on the potential consequences of unauthorized access to this information as well as issues relating to privacy. In essence, secure text messaging is a major problem, especially with regards to compliance with various healthcare laws such as HIPAA, which stipulates patient information must be kept secure at all times (Tiger Text, 2016).

Despite its numerous benefits and advantages in enhancing collaboration between medical personnel, text messaging raises general security concerns that could ultimately compromise the quality and effectiveness of patient care services. The general security concern emerges from the fact that text messages are currently designed in a way that can be accessible and read by anyone. These messages usually lie unsecured on the servers of telecommunication providers and mobile phone companies (Tiger Text, 2016). This implies that text messages can easily be intercepted and read by anyone during transit. Therefore, healthcare providers are facing the risks of unsecured text messaging, which in turn violates health compliance laws. The decision under consideration to address this issue is encrypted texting, which is relatively secure.

Criteria for Analysis

To identify the significance of text messaging in today's clinical communication, it's important to conduct a SWOT analysis on the proliferation of this practice in the modern healthcare environment. The criterion for conducting the SWOT analysis is risk analysis, which will help in examining the practice and its associated risks. Through the risk analysis approach, the SWOT analysis will focus on examining the advantages of text messaging with regards to enhancing communication between medical personnel. Additionally, the analysis will also focus on security standards and security risks relating to text messaging, especially with regards to relevant health compliance regulations. In this case, the capability of text messaging to meet required security standards will be examined and illustrated in the SWOT analysis.

The analysis will also focus on examining the impact on text messaging on various stakeholders or target groups in patient care delivery process. The first target group in the analysis is healthcare providers and medical personnel who exchange messages between themselves for enhanced collaboration. In essence, the examination will be centered on whether text messaging improves collaboration between medical personnel. The second target group is patients since the goal of exchanging text messages in clinical communication is generating better patient outcomes. After examining the impact of text messaging on these target groups, gap analysis will also be utilized in the SWOT analysis to determine what's needed to get the medical team from its present state to desired future state with regards to secure clinical communication (Doucette, 2014).

SWOT Analysis

Text messaging has been associated with several strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities that have characterized its increased use in the healthcare sector for clinical communication between medical personnel. One of the strengths of text messaging in healthcare is better collaboration between medical personnel. Communication through text messaging has proven to be a suitable method for enhancing inter-disciplinary collaboration in healthcare, which in turn results in better patient outcomes (Love, 2016). The second strength of text messaging is that it enables seamless and smooth communication between members of the healthcare team. Unlike other communication methods, text messages are easy to create and send, which in turn contributes to smooth communication. Third, through improved collaboration and smooth communication, text messaging has numerous benefits for healthcare providers. For medical personnel, text messaging enhances the effectiveness of the patient care delivery process while patients experience improved outcomes because of better collaboration and communication between the healthcare team. The other strength is that text messaging in clinical communication is a promoting and efficient measure for promoting health and wellness habits among patient populations. When medical personnel share information with patients through text messaging, they increase awareness on healthy living among patients.

Despite its strengths, there are several weaknesses of text messaging as the most preferred and utilized means of clinical communication. One of these weaknesses is that text messages are inherently unsecure because they can be easily intercepted and accessed by unauthorized users. This enhances the risk of security hacks, data breaches and violation of relevant health compliance laws. This could in turn contribute to poor communication between medical personnel and patients as well as compromise the quality of care. For medical personnel, the security risks that are inherent in text messaging could result in legal battles emerging from potential lawsuits. Secondly, text messaging in healthcare is characterized by increased complexity of mobile security needs because of the large number of mobile phone devices that are utilized in patient care delivery (Love, 2016). Third, text messaging can contribute to failure to record vital health information relating to a patient's medical record because the communication takes place outside the chart (QliqSOFT, 2016).

However, there are several opportunities for enhancing the effectiveness of text messaging as a suitable communication tool in the healthcare sector. One of these opportunities is encrypted texting, which will prevent unauthorized access to patient data and in turn enhance patient care processes and outcomes. Secondly, text messaging in healthcare could involve incorporating user authentication controls through which access to any device would be limited to few individuals. This will address the problem of inadequate security controls that have characterized mobile phone usage for text messaging in clinical communication. The third opportunity is to create and implement an application policy in the healthcare facility so that medical personnel are adequately prepared and trained on security during text messaging. This will ensure that communication via text messaging takes place in the most secure way that enhances patient care delivery and outcomes.