Date of Conferral

11-29-2024

Degree

Doctor of Information Technology (D.I.T.)

School

Management

Advisor

Dana Haywood

Abstract

Healthcare information technology (IT) managers often lack effective protection strategies against cloud-based data manipulation, leaving their organizations vulnerable to significant financial, health, and privacy risks. Grounded in the technology threat avoidance theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies healthcare IT managers have to mitigate data manipulation that threatens data integrity related to the healthcare cloud. The participants were four IT managers of healthcare organizations in the Central Texas region of the United States who had strategies to mitigate data manipulation in the healthcare cloud. The data were collected using semistructured interviews and reviewing journals available in the library databases. Through thematic analysis, three themes were identified: (a) data threat identification and monitoring, (b) data integrity protection strategies, and (c) user education and training. A key recommendation is for healthcare IT managers to adopt security measures to restrict unauthorized access to data such as robust password policies, multi-factor authentication, routine software updates, and security awareness training. Implications for positive social change include the potential for healthcare IT managers to implement strategies for protecting cloud-based healthcare information from data integrity issues, which prevents harmful consequences resulting from manipulated data that could impact patient diagnoses, treatment, and the well-being of healthcare professionals and staff.

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