In the near future the need to improve service quality and efficiency will place a stronger emphasis on external networked communication. Given the availability and ever growing popularity of the Internet, it is likely to be used increasingly for medical information exchange, too. The patients, medical personnel, insurance companies and legal bodies may not be willing or allowed to use a MIS unless its operation is subject to appropriate integrity, availability, confidentiality and accountability. The challenge in constructing a MIS is that all these facets of security are found among its requirements.
Integrity ensures that information is only modified in a specified and authorized manner.
It aims at guaranteeing the correctness of data. Availability refers to securing a system's efficiency so that legitimate users have adequate access to resources in terms of eg response time and bandwidth. Medical data involved in active patient care demand instant and no-stop access. Requirements for limitations of the release of information are stated in confidentiality demands. The mechanisms for their enforcement must ensure that information is not disclosed to unauthorized recipients.