CYBERSECURITY for hospitals

Hospital Cybersecurity: Why It Matters

Hospitals have come to rely heavily on their medical computer infrastructure. Everything from billing information to patient medical histories are stored on digital devices. These devices have made the task of record keeping much easier for your workers. But they also make it much easier for criminals to access sensitive information. Hackers have taken to targeting businesses of every size, with no leeway given to vital industries such as healthcare. One slip-up can lock your workers out of their computers for days. This can cost your hospital a fortune, and create a PR nightmare. Hospitals need to focus on increasing their cybersecurity in order to avoid help being targeted for these attacks.

Ransomware Hacks Are Only Increasing

Ransomware attacks rose by an astonishing 62% from 2019 to 2020. These attacks don’t just target the industrial sector, they have their eyes on hospitals as well. According to Dean Sittig, PhD, professor of biomedical informatics at the School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth in Houston, “Cybercriminals try every hospital, every day; every computer, multiple times a day.”

These attacks work by targeting your employees, vulnerabilities in your medical computer system, or a combination of the two. Once they gain access to your system, they lock all of your files through encryption. They promise to unlock them once given a bounty. Hospitals pay these bounties in crypto currency. This leaves little hope of tracing the transaction and holding the cybercriminals accountable.

In 2019, a ransomware attack against a hospital locked staff out of their computers, causing them to miss early warning signs that ultimately led to the tragic death of an infant. These sorts of stories will only become more common as the ease at which hacks can occur as well as their payouts increase.

What Are Cybersecurity Authorities Doing?

After a cyber attack that took out a major U.S. oil pipeline, the federal government began taking ransomware attacks more seriously. As of now, the Biden administration has taken preliminary steps to address the crisis. These include encouraging more businesses to report attacks. Biden also met with 30 countries to address the issue. While concrete actions are still sparse, there are steps hospitals can take in the meantime to help fend off would-be attackers.

What Your Hospital Can Do To Ward Off Cyber Attacks

Here are some things your hospital can do to help stay safe:

  • Have mandatory cybersecurity training with staff that covers the basics of phishing
  • Limit internet access in your building
  • Have a cybersecurity consultant on retainer 
  • Keep all medical computers updated with the latest software updates
m24t medical grade computer bioengineering
Tangent M24T Medical Computer

One of the major ways hackers can access systems is through computers with old, outdated software. The longer a piece of software has been out, the more time hackers have had to exploit it. New medical computers like the M24T have the latest versions of windows installed directly on them, which can help prevent cyber attacks. Tangent has a full lineup of medical computers built to help hospitals in their medical work, as well as being fully updated. For more information, contact Tangent Sales today.

Digital Literacy In Hospitals

Digital Health Literacy: Why It Matters For Hospitals

Hospital administrators have always been concerned with digital health literacy since medical computers were introduced into the workplace. The pandemic has only exacerbated these concerns. According to the World Health Organization, digital health literacy is defined as, “the ability to seek, find, understand, and appraise health information from electronic sources and apply the knowledge gained to addressing or solving a health problem.” While doctors, nurses, and all medical staff have no doubt gone through digital training, the same cannot be said for their patients.

Patients cannot be left out of the digital health literacy conversation, especially now. Countless at-risk patients rely on hospitals for their healthcare, but not all of them can regularly visit their local provider due to the pandemic. More senior patients may struggle with telehealth appointments. It is up to hospitals to ensure that their patients are able to easily and safely access the medical information they need.

Digital Health Literacy: Offer An Easy Online Health Portal

72% of US adult internet users seek out medical information online according to the WHO. While there is no doubt quality healthcare information on the internet, there is no substitute for a doctor’s first hand opinion. Create a health portal for your patients that contains articles and information. This portal can include tips on living healthy, as well as answers to some of the most common medical questions. Doctors and nurses can regularly update this portal. Include easy links in these pages for your patients to contact their doctors with further questions.

Give Patients Multiple Language Options

Many patients are digitally savvy, but not every patient speaks English as their first language. Patients may be more averse to seeking out the care they need via telehealth appointments if they are unsure how to even set one up. Create clearly demarcated buttons across your website to change the language. Include languages that are common to your area and the whole of the country.

Host Workshops For Digital Averse Patients

Your more senior patients may struggle with the basics of using their computers, such as using a mouse to interact with objects on screen. Hosting small workshops may greatly bolster their attempts at using computers for medical reasons. These workshops can go over the basics of using a computer to access medical information, digital health literacy, and appointments online.

Digital Health Literacy: Ensure Doctors Know Their Patients’ Limits

Doctors, through no fault of their own, project a sense of authority. It comes with the position. However, this projection of authority can make asking questions difficult for some patients. Have your doctors ask their patients if they know how to access telehealth appointments. Some may be averse to admitting the bounds of their digital health literacy at first. But together, your doctors and patients can make a healthcare plan that fits both these times and future ones.

Bridge The Digital Divide With Tangent

The digital divide doesn’t have to affect healthcare. Ensure that your patients are up to date on their digital health literacy so that their treatments can continue. Tangent is here to help ensure that your doctors can likewise access patient information, perform telehealth appointments, and more on their medical computers. For more information, contact Tangent Sales today.