scholarly journals Cybersecurity Risks in a Pandemic

10.2196/23692 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. e23692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Meilee Williams ◽  
Rahul Chaturvedi ◽  
Krishnan Chakravarthy
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Civil Rights ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Organizations ◽  
Local Area ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Office For Civil Rights ◽  
Secure Networks ◽  
Software Upgrade ◽  
Penetration Tests

Cybersecurity threats are estimated to cost the world US $6 trillion a year by 2021, and the number of attacks has increased five-fold after COVID-19. Although there is substantial literature on the threats technological vulnerabilities have on the health care industry, less research exists on how pandemics like COVID-19 are opportunistic for cybercriminals. This paper outlines why cyberattacks have been particularly problematic during COVID-19 and ways that health care industries can better protect patient data. The Office for Civil Rights has loosened enforcement of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which, although useful in using new platforms like Zoom, has also loosened physical and technical safeguards to cyberattacks. This is especially problematic given that 90% of health care providers had already encountered data breaches. Companies must implement well-defined software upgrade procedures, should use secure networks like virtual local area networks, and conduct regular penetration tests of their systems. By understanding factors that make individuals, health care organizations, and employers more susceptible to cyberattacks, we can better prepare for the next pandemic.

scholarly journals Cybersecurity Risks in a Pandemic (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Meilee Williams ◽  
Rahul Chaturvedi ◽  
Krishnan Chakravarthy
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Civil Rights ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Organizations ◽  
Local Area ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Office For Civil Rights ◽  
Secure Networks ◽  
Software Upgrade ◽  
Penetration Tests

UNSTRUCTURED Cybersecurity threats are estimated to cost the world US $6 trillion a year by 2021, and the number of attacks has increased five-fold after COVID-19. Although there is substantial literature on the threats technological vulnerabilities have on the health care industry, less research exists on how pandemics like COVID-19 are opportunistic for cybercriminals. This paper outlines why cyberattacks have been particularly problematic during COVID-19 and ways that health care industries can better protect patient data. The Office for Civil Rights has loosened enforcement of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which, although useful in using new platforms like Zoom, has also loosened physical and technical safeguards to cyberattacks. This is especially problematic given that 90% of health care providers had already encountered data breaches. Companies must implement well-defined software upgrade procedures, should use secure networks like virtual local area networks, and conduct regular penetration tests of their systems. By understanding factors that make individuals, health care organizations, and employers more susceptible to cyberattacks, we can better prepare for the next pandemic.

scholarly journals Job satisfaction and its related factors in health care providers and health workers in Esfarayen

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Sadeghi ◽  
Hasan Jafari ◽  
Hossein Rouhani ◽  
Akram Zhianifard ◽  
Maryam Siavashi
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Organizations ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
The Mean

Introduction: Job Satisfaction in Health care organizations is one of the important pillars of health promotion, due to the role they play in the prevention, care and treatment. The aim of this study was to determine the job satisfaction and its related factors in health workers in Esfarayen. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was carried out on 140 health care workers in Esfarayen in 2017. Data was collected using Herzberg job satisfaction questionnaire, and data were analyzed using ANOVA and t-test in SPSS21 software. Results: The mean age of participant was 37 ± 8.34. Most of them were female (70%) and married (85.5%). The average of job satisfaction was 61.45 ± 7.65 (out of 100). The highest job satisfaction score was work ability (73.54 ± 1.08) and the lowest score belonged to supervision ( 49.15 ± 5.73). Among the demographic variables, Job satisfaction was significantly associated with Employment Status (P<0.05). Conclusion: Despite employees have job satisfaction, factors that increase job satisfaction of employees should be considered by the relevant authorities. Establishing suitable job standards, fair and reasonable salary, and the creation of facilities in the workplace can lead to improved employee satisfaction and, consequently, improved service quality.

The Partners HealthCare Settlement and the Future of Health Care Organizations

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Market Power ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Federal Trade Commission ◽  
Health Care Organizations ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Unique Challenge ◽  
Delivery Models

AbstractA recent settlement between Massachusetts and Partners HealthCare, along with successful antitrust actions by the Federal Trade Commission, may signal the beginning of the end of two decades of consolidation of health care providers. This consolidation has been associated with higher prices resulting from market power, justifying the antitrust actions. However, the appropriate remedy for the health sector is a unique challenge. The proposed settlement appears to lock into place the legacy of the hospital-based delivery model, rather than orchestrating a pathway to a new care delivery models. Clearly, we need a regulatory framework that will introduce innovative alternatives into the market, not enshrine the current costly paradigm.

Covering It Up? Questions of Safety, Stigmatization, and Fairness in Covert Medication Administration

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-211
Author(s):  
Christy Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Organizations ◽  
Organizational Ethics ◽  
Medication Administration ◽  
Care Providers

This paper examines the practice of covert medication administration from an organizational ethics perspective. This includes consideration of vulnerability and stigmatization, safety, and fairness (justice) in terms of the culture of health care organizations and the relevance of policies and processes in relation to covert medication administration. As much of the discussion about covert medication administration focuses on patients and health care providers, this analysis aims to help expand the analysis of this practice.

scholarly journals Creating a Trauma-Sensitive Practice: A Health Care Response to Interpersonal Violence

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 451-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon A. Davies ◽  
Jeff Todahl ◽  
Anna E. Reichard
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Violence Prevention ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Interpersonal Violence ◽  
Universal Screening ◽  
Health Care Organizations ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Screening Practices ◽  
Care Response

Interpersonal violence has a profoundly negative impact on individuals and our society. Health care providers are in a unique position to identify interpersonal violence, support survivors, and to contribute to violence prevention. The purpose of this article is to describe the nature, scope, and impact of interpersonal violence, its subsequent trauma on individuals, families, and society, and to delineate how providers can apply trauma-sensitive practice. The authors provide definitions, examples and prevalence rates and review theories of violence and violence prevention. They describe how to create a trauma-sensitive practice by being aware of the trauma that accompanies violence, the barriers to violence prevention, and how to intervene with patients about violence. Providers are urged to adopt universal screening practices, educate themselves on the nature of interpersonal violence and engage in screening, education, collaboration, and social justice activities to reduce interpersonal violence. Resources are provided to assist health care organizations, providers, and patients in addressing interpersonal violence.

scholarly journals “We hebben afgesproken dat…”: hoe verantwoorden zorgprofessionals hun handelen in rapportages?

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-230
Author(s):  
Keun Young Sliedrecht ◽  
Els van der Pool
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Health Care Organizations ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Care Process ◽  
Quality Level ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Quality Of Reports ◽  
Accountability Practices

Abstract “We agreed to….”: how do health care professionals account for their performance in reports? For many health care professionals, reporting is a daily, necessary task. Reports play a key role in the accountability practice of the care provided, like quality assurance, evaluation, coordination and continuity of health care. However, to write an efficient report in the Electronic Client Dossier (ECD) is not an easy task for professionals. Research illuminates that health care reports do not meet the required quality level, stressing the importance to address writing skills of these professionals. In this study, consisting of 50 health reports of two mental health care organizations, we explore accountability practices of health care providers in reports. The analysis demonstrates how professionals actively give accounts for their performance at two levels, namely (1) the interaction: accounts for the accomplishment of mutual understanding and the unfolding of the institutional conversation and (2) the care content: accounts for the directions of the health care process and/or future steps. These practices of ‘being accountable’ illuminate how the writing process of professionals is embedded in the institutional context of health care. Therefore, to improve the efficiency and quality of reports, it is crucial to train the strategic competence of professionals instead of just training writing skills.

AMERICAN HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION FAULTS PERFORMANCE OF JCAH

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 95 (3) ◽  
pp. A44-A44
Author(s):  
J. F. L.
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Organizations ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Joint Commission ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
American Hospital ◽  
American Hospital Association ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Joint Commission

The American Hospital Association (AHA) declared a "crisis of confidence" in the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health-care Organizations, which accredits most of the nation's hospitals. The AHA said its 5,000 member hospitals are so frustrated by the Commission's performance that more than ten of its state chapters are considering alternatives. Defections could lead to the Commission's collapse, said Richard Davidson, president of the AHA. The AHA's unusual public criticism comes as the Joint Commission scrambles to revamp its procedures to respond to vast changes under way in the US health-care system. It also comes amid growing demands by consumers and employers for accountability among health-care providers. The Commission inspects most of the nation's hospitals every three years as part of its accrediation process. Hospitals must be accredited to receive Medicare reimbursements for treating the elderly. At a press conference in Chicago, officials of the AHA said its members have expressed broad concerns about the quality of the agency's inspections and the costs of the services. In addition, they said a "relentless marketing of education programs" and other products aimed at helping hospitals prepare for the surveys has clouded the Joint Commission's mission with conflicts.

scholarly journals Nonprofit Organizations in the Health Sector

1994 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 129-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard G Frank ◽  
David S Salkever
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Organizations ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Current Policy ◽  
Preferential Treatment ◽  
Charity Care ◽  
Tax Exemptions

Government appears to both promote and mistrust nonprofit organizations in the health sector. Tax exemptions, subsidies, and preferential treatment in contracts support these organizations. Legislation that links the supply of charity care to tax exemptions demonstrates mistrust. In this paper, the authors argue that information asymmetries lie at the heart of the current discomfort with tax policy toward nonprofit health-care providers. The authors examine current policy in terms of the rationale for the exemption of nonprofit health-care organizations from taxes as well as the ability of government to monitor performance of these organizations.

scholarly journals Barriers and Facilitating Factors for Research Involvement in Cancer Centers

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 107327481876547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Kowalski ◽  
Stefan Post ◽  
Thomas Seufferlein ◽  
Stefan R. Benz ◽  
Julia Ferencz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Organizations ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cancer Society ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Cancer Centers ◽  
Principal Investigators ◽  
Research Involvement

Improvements in health care depend on research involving health-care providers (HCPs) and health-care organizations (HCOs). Existing research suggests that involvement in research studies is still much lower than it could be. This study investigates factors that may impede or facilitate research involvement. A standardized online questionnaire was used to carry out a survey, in 3 countries, of key informants in colorectal cancer centers that hold certification in accordance with the requirements of the German Cancer Society. A total of 184 individuals responded (response rate 65%). The respondents found it difficult to identify studies suitable for their patients (40% agreement), criticized the small overall number of studies available (48%), and found that many studies are not worthwhile financially (56%). Among respondents who were not involved in studies as the principal investigators (PIs), 66% agreed they lacked the research infrastructure needed and 81% that they did not have enough staff. Among respondents who were involved as PIs, only 22% indicated that their hospital management encouraged them to initiate and conduct clinical trials. Eighty-five percent of the respondents agreed that the general population lacks information about the importance of studies. Five recommendations for health policy makers are derived from these findings for ways of increasing the involvement of HCPs and HCOs in research, and in cancer research in particular.

scholarly journals Attacks on Health Care Workers in Historical Pandemics and COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brett van Stekelenburg ◽  
Harald De Cauwer ◽  
Dennis Barten ◽  
Luc Mortelmans
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Health Care Organizations ◽  
The United States ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Viral Pathogens ◽  
American President ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
The Impact

Previous pandemics have been used/misused for (geo)political reasons, in wars/genocides and for terrorism. COVID-19 has been no exception with the former American president challenging the relations with China calling it the ‘Chinese virus’, and Russia and China setting up cyberterrorist actions against health care organizations in the United States and Europe. Aside from state-driven factors, both left and right-wing activists and anti-vaxxers adhering conspiracy theories are a threat for health care organizations and patients. Socioeconomic and religious/cultural factors also play a role in why health caregivers are a possible target. Fear of viral pathogens, fear of losing jobs by lockdown measures, anger because of quarantine and proper burials of the beloved being denied, are amongst the reasons people revolt against health care providers. We provide a review of the impact of violence against health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and earlier pandemics and suggest preventative strategies.

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