scholarly journals Growing Concern on Healthcare Cyberattacks & Need for Cybersecurity

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aarcha Sunil Lekshmi

Modern healthcare systems have been dominated by virtual approaches and digital technologies. This has increased the concern for the security of healthcare devices and data due to the lack of information confidentiality and data integrity in this sector. Information category at risk and the importance of patient safety make cybersecurity unique in the field of health. Regarding the context of this problem construction of cyber resilience in healthcare organizations has become a vital task. A comprehensive solution to this problem can be obtained by the combination of human behavioral changes, technological enhancements, process modifications, and new legislations and regulations.

Author(s):  
Erkan Turan Demirel ◽  
Eda Emul

The broken windows theory introduces an approach applicable to different fields of discipline insofar as it explains how disorder (crime, etc.) occurs in a community and provides a basis from which solutions can be developed to prevent it. Considering the complexity of healthcare systems, irregularities, and rule violations that commonly mark them and put human health at risk, it is important to produce more effective solutions by taking advantage of different perspectives. This study evaluates the applicability of the broken windows theory to patient safety. As this theory can be an effective solution to the medical errors, neglect and rule violations that commonly occur in the delivery of health services, it is important that further research on this subject be performed.


Crisis ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 326-332
Author(s):  
Ivonne Andrea Florez ◽  
Devon LoParo ◽  
Nakia Valentine ◽  
Dorian A. Lamis

Abstract. Background: Early identification and appropriate referral services are priorities to prevent suicide. Aims: The aim of this study was to describe patterns of identification and referrals among three behavioral health centers and determine whether youth demographic factors and type of training received by providers were associated with identification and referral patterns. Method: The Early Identification Referral Forms were used to gather the data of interest among 820 youth aged 10–24 years who were screened for suicide risk (females = 53.8%). Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regressions were conducted to examine significant associations. Results: Significant associations between gender, race, and age and screening positive for suicide were found. Age and race were significantly associated with different patterns of referrals and/or services received by youths. For providers, being trained in Counseling on Access to Lethal Means was positively associated with number of referrals to inpatient services. Limitations: The correlational nature of the study and lack of information about suicide risk and comorbidity of psychiatric symptoms limit the implications of the findings. Conclusion: The results highlight the importance of considering demographic factors when identifying and referring youth at risk to ensure standard yet culturally appropriate procedures to prevent suicide.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Niclas Mumm ◽  
Lucas Bohn ◽  
Lennert Eismann ◽  
Alexander Buchner ◽  
Theresa Vilsmaier ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Pelvic floor training (PFT) is the gold standard for conservative treatment of male stress urinary incontinence. OBJECTIVE To evaluate patients´ perspective at risk of incontinence on PFT and application of digital technologies for PFT. METHODS Patients undergoing transurethral surgery of the prostate (group I), radical prostatectomy (group II) or treatment at a specialized incontinence outpatient clinic (group III) were surveyed anonymously. Chi-Square test and Kruskal-Wallis-analysis were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS 180 patients were included in the final analysis. In group I (n=35) no patient underwent PFT prior to transurethral surgery. 23.5% of patients in group II (n=51) and 95.7% of patients in group III (n=94) performed PFT. 11.4% in group I, 80.4% in group II and 91.5% in group III have been advised to perform PFT by their urologist. Regarding the information level on PFT, patients from group I (median 1, range 0-5) are less satisfied than patients from group II (median 3, 0-9) or group III (median 5, range 0-10, p<0.001). 88.6% of patients from group I are willing to perform PFT as preventive treatment or to avoid incontinence surgery, 100% from group II and 68.4% from group III (p<0.001). The likelihood to use digital PFT is higher in group I (median: 9, range 0-10) and II (median: 9, range 0-10) than in group III (median: 4, range 0-10, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Patients at risk of incontinence currently have limited access to PFT, although they are willing to perform PFT. Digital PFT is highly accepted by patients preoperatively and might be a valuable tool to increase PFT participation.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niki O'Brien ◽  
Guy Martin ◽  
Emilia Grass ◽  
Mike Durkin ◽  
Ara Darzi ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Health systems around the world are increasingly reliant on digital technology. Such reliance requires that healthcare organizations consider effective cybersecurity and digital resilience as a fundamental component of patient safety, with recent cyberattacks highlighting the risks to patients and targeted organizations. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to explore the current global cybersecurity landscape and maturity in healthcare. METHODS We developed and administered a survey to examine the current cybersecurity landscape and preparedness level across global healthcare organizations. RESULTS Cyber threats were a common concern for the 17 healthcare organizations who participated. The principal concerns highlighted were data security, including the manipulation or loss of electronic health records; loss of trust in the organization; and risks of service disruption. Cybersecurity maturity scoring showed that despite the majority of organizations having established cybersecurity practices, levels of awareness and education were universally poor. CONCLUSIONS Policymakers should consider raising awareness and improving education/training on cybersecurity as a fundamental tenet of patient safety.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Dameff ◽  
Jordan Selzer ◽  
Jonathan Fisher ◽  
James Killeen ◽  
Jeffrey Tully

BACKGROUND Cybersecurity risks in healthcare systems have traditionally been measured in data breaches of protected health information but compromised medical devices and critical medical infrastructure raises questions about the risks of disrupted patient care. The increasing prevalence of these connected medical devices and systems implies that these risks are growing. OBJECTIVE This paper details the development and execution of three novel high fidelity clinical simulations designed to teach clinicians to recognize, treat, and prevent patient harm from vulnerable medical devices. METHODS Clinical simulations were developed which incorporated patient care scenarios with hacked medical devices based on previously researched security vulnerabilities. RESULTS Clinician participants universally failed to recognize the etiology of their patient’s pathology as being the result of a compromised device. CONCLUSIONS Simulation can be a useful tool in educating clinicians in this new, critically important patient safety space.


2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 87-98
Author(s):  
Abdullah Alamri

Healthcare systems have evolved to become more patient-centric. Many efforts have been made to transform paper-based patient data to automated medical information by developing electronic healthcare records (EHRs). Several international EHRs standards have been enabling healthcare interoperability and communication among a wide variety of medical centres. It is a dual-model methodology which comprises a reference information model and an archetype model. The archetype is responsible for the definition of clinical concepts which has limitations in terms of supporting complex reasoning and knowledge discovery requirements. The objective of this article is to propose a semantic-mediation architecture to support semantic interoperability among healthcare organizations. It provides an intermediate semantic layer to exploit clinical information based on richer ontological representations to create a “model of meaning” for enabling semantic mediation. The proposed model also provides secure mechanisms to allow interoperable sharing of patient data between healthcare organizations.


BMC Nursing ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahram Zaheer ◽  
Liane Ginsburg ◽  
Hannah J. Wong ◽  
Kelly Thomson ◽  
Lorna Bain ◽  
...  

Abstract Background This study contributes to a small but growing body of literature on how context influences perceptions of patient safety in healthcare settings. We examine the impact of senior leadership support for safety, supervisory leadership support for safety, teamwork, and turnover intention on overall patient safety grade. Interaction effects of predictors on perceptions of patient safety are also examined. Methods In this mixed methods study, cross-sectional survey data (N = 185) were collected from nurses and non-physician healthcare professionals. Semi-structured interview data (N = 15) were collected from nurses. The study participants worked in intensive care, general medicine, mental health, or the emergency department of a large community hospital in Southern Ontario. Results Hierarchical regression analyses showed that staff perceptions of senior leadership (p < 0.001), teamwork (p < 0.01), and turnover intention (p < 0.01) were significantly associated with overall patient safety grade. The interactive effect of teamwork and turnover intention on overall patient safety grade was also found to be significant (p < 0.05). The qualitative findings corroborated the survey results but also helped expand the characteristics of the study’s key concepts (e.g., teamwork within and across professional boundaries) and why certain statistical relationships were found to be non-significant (e.g., nurse interviewees perceived the safety specific responsibilities of frontline supervisors much more broadly compared to the narrower conceptualization of the construct in the survey). Conclusions The results of the current study suggest that senior leadership, teamwork, and turnover intention significantly impact nursing staff perceptions of patient safety. Leadership is a modifiable contextual factor and resources should be dedicated to strengthen relational competencies of healthcare leaders. Healthcare organizations must also proactively foster inter and intra-professional collaboration by providing teamwork educational workshops or other on-site learning opportunities (e.g., simulation training). Healthcare organizations would benefit by considering the interactive effect of contextual factors as another lever for patient safety improvement, e.g., lowering staff turnover intentions would maximize the positive impact of teamwork improvement initiatives on patient safety.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iacopo Rubbio ◽  
Manfredi Bruccoleri ◽  
Astrid Pietrosi ◽  
Barbara Ragonese

PurposeIn the healthcare management domain, there is a lack of knowledge concerning the role of resilience practices in improving patient safety. The purpose of this paper is to understand the capabilities that enable healthcare resilience and how digital technologies can support these capabilities.Design/methodology/approachWithin- and cross-case research methodology was used to study resilience mechanisms and capabilities in healthcare and to understand how digital health technologies impact healthcare resilience. The authors analyze data from two Italian hospitals through the lens of the operational failure literature and anchor the findings to the theory of dynamic capabilities.FindingsFive different dynamic capabilities emerged as crucial for managing operational failure. Furthermore, in relation to these capabilities, medical, organizational and patient-related knowledge surfaced as major enablers. Finally, the findings allowed the authors to better explain the role of knowledge in healthcare resilience and how digital technologies boost this role.Practical implicationsWhen trying to promote a culture of patient safety, the research suggests healthcare managers should focus on promoting and enhancing resilience capabilities. Furthermore, when evaluating the role of digital technologies, healthcare managers should consider their importance in enabling these dynamic capabilities.Originality/valueAlthough operations management (OM) research points to resilience as a crucial behavior in the supply chain, this is the first research that investigates the concept of resilience in healthcare systems from an OM perspective, with only a few authors having studied similar concepts, such as “workaround” practices.


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