Alpha Thunder Tag-3 WC Blog 196
i-pad theft-3
I-pad Innovations In The Medical Field Put Information At Doctor’s Fingertips; Alpha Thunder Tags Protect That Data
New and innovative uses for i-pads and tablets are constantly being found in the medical field. From apps for medical students that familiarize students with murmurs, stenosis (for non-medical readers, an abnormal narrowing of a body passage or opening) or gallops (an abnormal heart rhythm that pounds in the chest) called “Littman SoundBuilder” to “Eponyms” used by doctors and healthcare providers for looking up disease information or symptoms (information found in meded.umn.edu). These applications are helping doctors to better diagnose and treat patients with information available at the touch of a finger to a screen. As the use of the mobile medical devices grows in hospitals and doctor’s offices, so does the chance of an i-pad theft or tablet theft. From a dishonest employee stealing a device from a secured office to a customer picking up a tablet left unattended on a counter, opportunities abound for a device to be taken and the information contained in it to be compromised. This is very concerning if the device holds patient data. The possibility of medical device theft can be significantly reduced if the medical office attaches an Alpha Thunder Tag to their i-pads or tablets.
An Alpha Thunder Tag is a theft prevention device that is attached directly to the item that is to be protected, in this case a medical i-pad. It should be noted that the Tag can be attached to medical computer tablets and laptops just as well as an i-pad. The tag has a tamper alarm that is activated when an attempt is made to pry it off. It also activates an electronic article surveillance (EAS) antenna when carried into the vicinity of the antenna. When properly set up, a hospital or medical office has antennas established at all entry/exit points. This keeps someone from slipping a device out of a side or back door without attracting attention. One of the fantastic features of a Thunder Tag is that is can be “sensed” by the antennas even when it is hidden in a bag or purse or under clothing. When the antenna alarm is set off, a loud noise and electronic lights built into the antenna warns employees an i-pad theft is taking place.
In what ways are medical i-pads and tablets being used in the medical field that is making them a game changer in the way medical care is being delivered (and potentially increasing the likelihood of theft)? In a 17 July 2016 post, on cnbc.com titled, “The doctor is in…your i-Pad! Cleveland Clinic’s digital push”, by Trent Gillies, one new thing the Cleveland Clinic has been trying out is a “virtual visit” “with a doctor using a tablet, smart phone, or desktop.” Interviewing Cleveland Clinic President and CEO, Toby Cosgrove, Cosgrove points out that virtual visits allow patients to avoid lines and waiting times. He allows that the visits are not for checking on a cardiac disease, but would be suitable for looking at skin problems, or a follow up from a heart surgery or a surgery where a doctor just needs to see how an incision is healing.
Another use for the i-pad in medicine comes from the UTHealth Medical School. On their website, med.uth.edu in an article, “ipads come in handy in gross anatomy”, it states that “students are using the tablets to look up anatomical drawings while examining bodies.” Books and computers posed problems for the students, “The problem is that cadavers are preserved with a chemical called phenol, which can get on book pages and washable computer keyboards…lab officials wrapped the iPads in clear plastic bags which protect the tablets while allowing students to call up information on the touchscreen.”
Whatever the use, mobile devices are becoming more common in the medical world and so are the opportunities for i-pad theft or tablet theft depending on which device is being employed. Protecting against the theft of the devices is not difficult, use an Alpha Thunder Tag on each device and protect your practice and patients from medical device and identity theft.
Need information on i-pad theft? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now
New and innovative uses for i-pads and tablets are constantly being found in the medical field. From apps for medical students that familiarize students with murmurs, stenosis (for non-medical readers, an abnormal narrowing of a body passage or opening) or gallops (an abnormal heart rhythm that pounds in the chest) called “Littman SoundBuilder” to “Eponyms” used by doctors and healthcare providers for looking up disease information or symptoms (information found in meded.umn.edu). These applications are helping doctors to better diagnose and treat patients with information available at the touch of a finger to a screen. As the use of the mobile medical devices grows in hospitals and doctor’s offices, so does the chance of an i-pad theft or tablet theft. From a dishonest employee stealing a device from a secured office to a customer picking up a tablet left unattended on a counter, opportunities abound for a device to be taken and the information contained in it to be compromised. This is very concerning if the device holds patient data. The possibility of medical device theft can be significantly reduced if the medical office attaches an Alpha Thunder Tag to their i-pads or tablets.
An Alpha Thunder Tag is a theft prevention device that is attached directly to the item that is to be protected, in this case a medical i-pad. It should be noted that the Tag can be attached to medical computer tablets and laptops just as well as an i-pad. The tag has a tamper alarm that is activated when an attempt is made to pry it off. It also activates an electronic article surveillance (EAS) antenna when carried into the vicinity of the antenna. When properly set up, a hospital or medical office has antennas established at all entry/exit points. This keeps someone from slipping a device out of a side or back door without attracting attention. One of the fantastic features of a Thunder Tag is that is can be “sensed” by the antennas even when it is hidden in a bag or purse or under clothing. When the antenna alarm is set off, a loud noise and electronic lights built into the antenna warns employees an i-pad theft is taking place.
In what ways are medical i-pads and tablets being used in the medical field that is making them a game changer in the way medical care is being delivered (and potentially increasing the likelihood of theft)? In a 17 July 2016 post, on cnbc.com titled, “The doctor is in…your i-Pad! Cleveland Clinic’s digital push”, by Trent Gillies, one new thing the Cleveland Clinic has been trying out is a “virtual visit” “with a doctor using a tablet, smart phone, or desktop.” Interviewing Cleveland Clinic President and CEO, Toby Cosgrove, Cosgrove points out that virtual visits allow patients to avoid lines and waiting times. He allows that the visits are not for checking on a cardiac disease, but would be suitable for looking at skin problems, or a follow up from a heart surgery or a surgery where a doctor just needs to see how an incision is healing.
Another use for the i-pad in medicine comes from the UTHealth Medical School. On their website, med.uth.edu in an article, “ipads come in handy in gross anatomy”, it states that “students are using the tablets to look up anatomical drawings while examining bodies.” Books and computers posed problems for the students, “The problem is that cadavers are preserved with a chemical called phenol, which can get on book pages and washable computer keyboards…lab officials wrapped the iPads in clear plastic bags which protect the tablets while allowing students to call up information on the touchscreen.”
Whatever the use, mobile devices are becoming more common in the medical world and so are the opportunities for i-pad theft or tablet theft depending on which device is being employed. Protecting against the theft of the devices is not difficult, use an Alpha Thunder Tag on each device and protect your practice and patients from medical device and identity theft.
Need information on i-pad theft? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now
JM Blog 01 Medical
Key words Tablet theft 4 Classic N10 3
Alpha Thunder Tag 3
21st Century Hospital, 21st Century Risk; Tablet theft, Use And Security In Modern Medicine
With the volume of medical care needed in today’s hospitals and the limited staff of nurses and doctors available to provide it there is precious little time to waste. Patients need treatment and medical professionals need access to that patient’s information, records and history fast. Modern technology has made this a reality with powerful WIFI and the introduction of iPad and tablets to replace the old handwritten patient charts and massive physical files. Modern technology though is a double edged sword. Data, iPad and, tablet theft have become issues that plague hospital administration, medical staff and security alike.
What can be done? In my life as a retail LP professional the solution to merchandise theft is merchandise protection devices. Items like Checkpoint Classic N10 paired with an Alpha Thunder Tag are used as part of an overall strategy to prevent losses. I’ll wager that it isn’t often that you hear of areas where retail and healthcare overlap but this is one.
I worked security in a large hospital for several years dealing with a host of issues, things I never would have imagined. Violent patients and disruptive visitors were a primary concern for our public safety department. The physical security and safety of a facility are vital to its operation but aren’t its only concerns. Sadly, theft was a fairly common occurrence. Visitors, patients and, staff stealing from the facility are realities. I learned people are opportunists and an environment with valuable goods and information paired with a supply of distracted victims unable to protect themselves is too tempting to pass up.
Tablet technology has improved the speed and accuracy of patient care with the added benefit of making HIPAA compliance easier. Security often deals with a “curious” visitors caught snooping at patient’s charts. Patient data is now stored securely, safe from prying eyes and protected from data thieves who would remotely hack these devices.
Physical tablet theft remains a major concern. On the surface it seems unlikely that a device which is carried by staff would be susceptible to being stolen but, it happens. Watching your iPad is not a priority when the alert is raised and a patient is coding. It is in those moments that the opportunists strike. A few seconds of shifted focus and that tablet ends up in a purse or backpack. Not only does that represent a financial loss to the facility but also a massive HIPAA issue as well. Beyond the hospitals exposure is the loss of the patient’s personal information.
Given the nature of the hospital setting it isn’t practical to anchor every device to a person or secure it to an apparatus. Here the medical field can take a lesson from retail and look for a more elegant and portable solution. Companies like Alpha have developed small security tags, like the Alpha Thunder tag, that attach to a tablet or iPad and do not interfere with its portability or use. These sensors work with EAS devices like Classic N10 to provide both a deterrent for would be thieves as well as a means to notify staff and security if someone tries to exit with a secured device.
Tablet theft will remain an issue so long as staff use them and thieves see hospitals and the technology in them as a viable revenue source. The benefits to patient care and service outweigh the risks so the task of protecting these devices falls to security professionals. With vigilance and the implementation of sound security strategies, like an Alpha Thunder Tag and Checkpoint Systems Classic N10 we can allow staff to focus on patient care and give security a chance to prevent these losses. In the end everyone can win, well except the bad guys of course.
Need information on Alpha Thunder Tags or Checkpoint Systems Classic N10? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now
With the volume of medical care needed in today’s hospitals and the limited staff of nurses and doctors available to provide it there is precious little time to waste. Patients need treatment and medical professionals need access to that patient’s information, records and history fast. Modern technology has made this a reality with powerful WIFI and the introduction of iPad and tablets to replace the old handwritten patient charts and massive physical files. Modern technology though is a double edged sword. Data, iPad and, tablet theft have become issues that plague hospital administration, medical staff and security alike.
What can be done? In my life as a retail LP professional the solution to merchandise theft is merchandise protection devices. Items like Checkpoint Classic N10 paired with an Alpha Thunder Tag are used as part of an overall strategy to prevent losses. I’ll wager that it isn’t often that you hear of areas where retail and healthcare overlap but this is one.
I worked security in a large hospital for several years dealing with a host of issues, things I never would have imagined. Violent patients and disruptive visitors were a primary concern for our public safety department. The physical security and safety of a facility are vital to its operation but aren’t its only concerns. Sadly, theft was a fairly common occurrence. Visitors, patients and, staff stealing from the facility are realities. I learned people are opportunists and an environment with valuable goods and information paired with a supply of distracted victims unable to protect themselves is too tempting to pass up.
Tablet technology has improved the speed and accuracy of patient care with the added benefit of making HIPAA compliance easier. Security often deals with a “curious” visitors caught snooping at patient’s charts. Patient data is now stored securely, safe from prying eyes and protected from data thieves who would remotely hack these devices.
Physical tablet theft remains a major concern. On the surface it seems unlikely that a device which is carried by staff would be susceptible to being stolen but, it happens. Watching your iPad is not a priority when the alert is raised and a patient is coding. It is in those moments that the opportunists strike. A few seconds of shifted focus and that tablet ends up in a purse or backpack. Not only does that represent a financial loss to the facility but also a massive HIPAA issue as well. Beyond the hospitals exposure is the loss of the patient’s personal information.
Given the nature of the hospital setting it isn’t practical to anchor every device to a person or secure it to an apparatus. Here the medical field can take a lesson from retail and look for a more elegant and portable solution. Companies like Alpha have developed small security tags, like the Alpha Thunder tag, that attach to a tablet or iPad and do not interfere with its portability or use. These sensors work with EAS devices like Classic N10 to provide both a deterrent for would be thieves as well as a means to notify staff and security if someone tries to exit with a secured device.
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ablet theft will remain an issue so long as staff use them and thieves see hospitals and the technology in them as a viable revenue source. The benefits to patient care and service outweigh the risks so the task of protecting these devices falls to security professionals. With vigilance and the implementation of sound security strategies, like an Alpha Thunder Tag and Checkpoint Systems Classic N10 we can allow staff to focus on patient care and give security a chance to prevent these losses. In the end everyone can win, well except the bad guys of course.
Need information on Checkpoint Systems Classic N10? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now
Remember the cute children’s song, “Where, O Where Has My Little Dog Gone?” What a fun little ditty about a lost dog and a search to find him. But what if we change the words just a bit and make it, “Where, O Where Has My Mobile Device Gone?” That’s not quite so cute (and it doesn’t really rhyme so well either). It is especially not so funny if it involves a medical i-pad theft or medical tablet theft. The little dog in the song may very well find his way home, but will the mobile device make it back to where it belongs? Probably not. Medical providers have to be on guard to ensure that if they are using mobile devices in their practices they are keeping both the information on the device and the device itself secure. What is the best way to do this? Encryption of a device is imperative to protect patient/client data. Using an Alpha Thunder Tag is critical to prevent an i-pad theft or tablet theft.
Mobile devices can be protected by attaching an Alpha Thunder Tag to them and installing Checkpoint Classic N10 Antennas at building exits. The tag is built so that when it is within a certain distance from an antenna, it will cause the alarm in the antennas to activate. Alarms consist of flashing LED lights and a very loud alert sound. These alerts ensure that staff and employees will hear when someone is trying to carry a device out of the building. Alerts also provide staff an opportunity to get to the door where the alarm is sounding and retrieve the item being stolen. The Thunder Tag is also designed to be tamper proof, so if someone should try to remove the tag in order to steal a device, the tag has a built in alarm that is set off and warn staff that an attempted theft is taking place.
If you have a smaller office area and are concerned about the space a Checkpoint Classic N10 Antenna would take up, you can rest assured that the space requirements are minimal. This antenna was designed with small spaces in mind, so the footprint it requires is very small, and yet it performs as well as larger electronic article surveillance (EAS) antennas. Should a person, attempt an i-pad theft or tablet theft, the antenna will detect the Alpha Thunder Tag.
So the question becomes does it really matter if a mobile medical device is stolen if it is encrypted? It does matter. While encryption does make it more difficult for a thief to get information from a device such as a laptop or tablet, it is not impossible. In an article in techopedia.com , https://www.techopedia.com/definition/25054/health-care-data-encryption titled, “Health Care Data Encryption” the author discusses what data encryption is and why health care providers should use it. The article states, “Consideration of EHR( electronic health reporting, my clarification in parentheses) data encryption is wise for health care providers, administrators, IT personnel and health facilities. Although encryption is not foolproof, it’s better than plain text records (emphasis mine)”. Mobile medical devices could be stolen and the information stored on them compromised. Not only does this put patient information at risk, it could result in significant fines and penalties for the practice or care unit.
Can someone gain access to medical devices and steal them? Absolutely. Handheld devices like anything else can get in the way when a patient is being treated or if a care provider becomes distracted. It isn’t difficult to imagine a scenario where someone may put down a device to take a phone call or consult with a partner or patient and then forget to pick the tablet or i-pad up. How about just laying the device on a counter where patients check in and out? Once the device is out of a person’s immediate control, it is subject to being picked up or simply lost. Once a device cannot be accounted for, it should be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services. It should not be assumed that a Mobile Medical Device will find its’ way home again.
Medical tablet theft and/or i-pad theft must be treated as very real possibilities. Using an Alpha Thunder Tag and Checkpoint Classic N10 antennas along with data encryption on your devices can help to ensure your practice does not experience a damaging loss.
Get more information on Alpha Thunder Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
TONSILLECTOMY AND ALPHA THUNDER TAGS
So just this morning, I had to drag myself out of bed; my comfortable, lovely and relaxing bed at 3:30am. Not only did I have to wake up, I had to put pants on and leave the house completely. Why, you ask? I have a sister. I have a sister that just keeps getting Streptococcus. Her tonsils just can’t handle the everyday germs like you and I, so it was time to part ways. They had to go; and apparently I was the only one that could drive her. Ever heard of Uber? The one good thing, if there was one, was I got to talk again about how great Alpha Thunder Tags are.
You might be asking where the connection is there. How can my sister’s tonsillectomy have any relation to Alpha Thunder Tags? Working in the LP industry makes me feel like an old man that talks about the “good ole’ days’ every chance I get. Instead of the days of yore, I like to talk about ways to stop criminals. Criminals get hurt and have to go to the hospital too, you know!
I’m sitting in the little waiting room area and there is literally no one in the surgical wing at this hour. There are a few nurses at the floor station and the halls are dead silent. I kind of wanted a career change at that moment. I notice that the nurse and staff all do their charting electronically, on iPads. Very carelessly, they set them down and walk away. Anyone with a dishonest bone in their body could simply walk by, scoop it up and be on their merry way before anyone would ever notice. Hospitals just don’t think like an LP manager does, I guess. For me, tablet theft is a very real problem in my store and we work extraordinarily hard to prevent it.
Back to the surgery! The tonsils put up a valiant fight, but in the end the scalpel was too much of a challenger. In the recovery ward now, in a little room, waiting for my kid sister to wake up from the cocktail of sleepy time meds, a nurse comes in to check on her; using an iPad of course. I have no one else to talk to so I ask if there’s ever been a tablet theft. I then have to explain what I do for a living before she realizes I’m not really interested in stealing her iPad. Her answer didn’t surprise me. She tells me that a few have gone “missing” over time, but didn’t think that people in hospitals steal.
While you may have a great team of employees in a hospital and maybe employee theft isn’t a problem, the fact here is that a hospital is open to the public. Anyone can simply walk in the front doors, and walk the hallways late at night looking for a table to steal. If questioned, they can just say they are visiting a family member and got lost; there’s no way to verify this. Not only that, but criminals get hurt. Normal people who get hurt have thieves in their family that will come visit them. Patients may also be kleptomaniacs. Bet you never thought about that before!
To easily protect your hospital, or private practice from tablet theft, Alpha Thunder Tags are the easiest, most cost effective method to do so. The small tag can be applied to all your devices (and not just tablets, either) that would give an audible alert anytime they passed through an antenna (which are basically invisible). This simple tool will not only protect the investment in the hardware, but will also help bolster any software tools you’re using to protect patient data. If you’re looking for a way to secure your tablets, look no further than the rumble of Alpha Thunder Tags.
Get more information on Alpha Thunder Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
So just this morning, I had to drag myself out of bed; my comfortable, lovely and relaxing bed at 3:30am. Not only did I have to wake up, I had to put pants on and leave the house completely. Why, you ask? I have a sister. I have a sister that just keeps getting Streptococcus. Her tonsils just can’t handle the everyday germs like you and I, so it was time to part ways. They had to go; and apparently I was the only one that could drive her. Ever heard of Uber? The one good thing, if there was one, was I got to talk again about how great Alpha Thunder Tags are.
You might be asking where the connection is there. How can my sister’s tonsillectomy have any relation to Alpha Thunder Tags? Working in the LP industry makes me feel like an old man that talks about the “good ole’ days’ every chance I get. Instead of the days of yore, I like to talk about ways to stop criminals. Criminals get hurt and have to go to the hospital too, you know!
I’m sitting in the little waiting room area and there is literally no one in the surgical wing at this hour. There are a few nurses at the floor station and the halls are dead silent. I kind of wanted a career change at that moment. I notice that the nurse and staff all do their charting electronically, on iPads. Very carelessly, they set them down and walk away. Anyone with a dishonest bone in their body could simply walk by, scoop it up and be on their merry way before anyone would ever notice. Hospitals just don’t think like an LP manager does, I guess. For me, tablet theft is a very real problem in my store and we work extraordinarily hard to prevent it.
Back to the surgery! The tonsils put up a valiant fight, but in the end the scalpel was too much of a challenger. In the recovery ward now, in a little room, waiting for my kid sister to wake up from the cocktail of sleepy time meds, a nurse comes in to check on her; using an iPad of course. I have no one else to talk to so I ask if there’s ever been a tablet theft. I then have to explain what I do for a living before she realizes I’m not really interested in stealing her iPad. Her answer didn’t surprise me. She tells me that a few have gone “missing” over time, but didn’t think that people in hospitals steal.
While you may have a great team of employees in a hospital and maybe employee theft isn’t a problem, the fact here is that a hospital is open to the public. Anyone can simply walk in the front doors, and walk the hallways late at night looking for a table to steal. If questioned, they can just say they are visiting a family member and got lost; there’s no way to verify this. Not only that, but criminals get hurt. Normal people who get hurt have thieves in their family that will come visit them. Patients may also be kleptomaniacs. Bet you never thought about that before!
To easily protect your hospital, or private practice from tablet theft, Alpha Thunder Tags are the easiest, most cost effective method to do so. The small tag can be applied to all your devices (and not just tablets, either) that would give an audible alert anytime they passed through an antenna (which are basically invisible). This simple tool will not only protect the investment in the hardware, but will also help bolster any software tools you’re using to protect patient data. If you’re looking for a way to secure your tablets, look no further than the rumble of Alpha Thunder Tags.
Get more information on Alpha Thunder Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
There are a lot of things that make me angry and make me want to go on one of my rants. People with “txtl8r” bumper stickers on their cars who are driving and texting irritate me People assuming that turn signals are optional equipment when they buy a car…NO signals actually come with the vehicle and are to be used. Giving me the universal gesture when I have to beep my horn at someone because they are texting at a light and it turns green and the 20 cars ahead of them have already gone but that driver wasn’t paying attention. Receiving phone calls on my home phone with “private call” showing on my caller ID and when I pick up, the solicitor on the other end asks who I am…YOU called ME, and took the time to use call block and you’re asking who I AM? Cable TV companies that raise MY rates multiple times as a 20 year customer and offer “Special” rates for new customers who haven’t shown any loyalty! Last but not least (for now), helping a customer in the store I work at, telling them my system says I have an item on hand and then finding out the shelf is empty and we don’t have it, usually due to theft! Shoplifters make me ANGRY! That is why stores should use retail anti-theft devices, such as the Alpha Thunder Tag on merchandise to prevent shoplifting.
Retail anti-theft devices come in a wide range of designs and styles, but one of the more versatile devices is the Alpha Thunder Tag. Alpha’s lines of hard tags are designed to be compatible with electronic article surveillance (EAS) antennas. This means that if a tag is in the vicinity of an antenna it will cause the antennas to activate their audible alarms and LED lights alerting store employees of unpaid merchandise being taken out the doors. The Alpha Thunder tag not only activates EAS antennas, they also have a built in tamper alarm that sounds if there is an attempt to remove it from merchandise. A third alarm in the tag activates in the tag itself if it is carried out through EAS antennas.
This retail anti-theft device has adhesive backing that allows it to be attached to a product and cannot be detached without the use of an Alpha detachment key. This style of tag allows it to be stuck to boxed merchandise or even displays, such as tablets, i-pads and laptop computers without damaging the display when you are ready to sell it. Going back to what irritates me, one of the expensive items we sell in our store that I would like to see the Alpha Thunder Tag used on would be all of the laser jet printer cartridges and laser jet drums that we sell. While some of the cartridges are protected with retail anti-theft devices, the company direction does not dictate all cartridges to be secured. This becomes the source of frustration when trying to help a customer and telling them that we have something on hand and a thorough search finds we do not have it. Using Alpha Thunder Tags would eliminate a significant amount of the theft of these products.
One other benefit of using this particular anti-theft device is that it is small enough that it does not add a considerable amount of size to a box so the shelf capacity remains high. More products on the floor equate to increased sales and the tags minimize the risk of theft and prevent shoplifting, therefore profit is increased as well.
Prevent shoplifting in your store by using Alpha Thunder Tags on products. Your in-stocks and profit line will improve and who knows, maybe someone just like me who works in your store won’t have this to rant about any longer.
Need more information on Alpha Thunder Tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
