Healthcare technologies — most prominently, telehealth services — have become increasingly popular over the past couple of years. The healthcare industry was already going digital but with the pandemic, the adoption of new tech and systems was crucial and necessary to continue providing patients with the care and services they needed.
Since then, we have seen the many benefits of adopting advanced technology in the healthcare industry. However, as helpful as telehealth services have been, there is also a concern that this rapid switch to primarily digital healthcare in such a short time has left medical practices and their patients vulnerable to cyber threats.
86% of healthcare professionals are concerned about patient data being exposed, stolen, or even lost due to poor security measures and inadequate backup. Unfortunately, these concerns are valid. As more data is sent to the cloud, decentralized information becomes vulnerable as it moves throughout the internet, and it can more easily be intercepted before it reaches its destination.
Though it is unlikely that medical facilities will revert to conventional methods void of technology, it is clear that healthcare providers and practices need to step up their security measures. This tech is ultimately doing so much good for the healthcare industry. Facilities and providers just need to take more care to protect sensitive patient information.
Technology in Healthcare
Despite the risks that technology and the cloud pose, it’s important to understand that these digital advancements are not only beneficial but are also necessary. Technology is changing the healthcare industry in so many ways — ways that will ultimately make patient care significantly better.
With some of the latest healthcare technologies being adopted, doctors and healthcare providers are able to provide more advanced care to help their patients get better and improve their lives long-term. Some tech is even enabling doctors to make more accurate predictions to help prevent disease and discover new treatment options. It could even lead to the discovery of cures for certain diseases.
Some of these technologies include:
- Artificial Intelligence (AI): AI tech is becoming increasingly popular in healthcare. It’s being used for diagnostic support, to help perform surgeries, and to create chatbots to handle patient inquiries and automate overall administrative duties.
- Wearables: Wearable tech, like the Fitbit, has been around for a while now, but it has only recently become popular in healthcare with IoT wearables. These wearable devices allow patients to be monitored remotely, and the data they collect can easily and quickly be shared with another connected device or network so the treating physician can get real-time updates.
- Telehealth: Telemedicine became huge after the pandemic forced facilities to quickly upgrade their systems so they could provide remote care. Now, most doctors and healthcare providers use telehealth services not only to have video calls with patients but also to provide patient portals where patient data can be stored, shared, and easily accessed by both the patient and the provider.
The Security Risks of Telemedicine
Unfortunately, with the adoption of technologies like telehealth comes an increased risk of data breaches in healthcare. This rapid growth of medical tech and telemedicine means there is suddenly a vast amount of sensitive patient data being stored and shared on the internet, more than ever before, which is like a candy store for hackers.
All of this data is ripe for the picking if it is not adequately protected. Luckily, there are security measures that can be taken. Most IT specialists have realized the need for advanced cybersecurity with the adoption of advanced data-sharing technologies. However, the problem is that this digital revolution in healthcare came on so quickly that most medical facilities did not have the time to also implement a robust IT department or better IT protocols.
While a thorough IT department might not have previously been necessary, it is now a must. Medical practices and hospitals must have a quality IT department if they want to mitigate security risks with patient data. Those practices and healthcare companies that are using cloud storage with their telehealth services must take extra precautions to protect sensitive information.
Though the cloud is touted as being secure, it can be hacked if it is not utilized and secured properly. Some of the risks of using cloud technology include:
- Loss of control over data, i.e., where it goes and who can end up having access to it;
- Data leaks;
- Allowing healthcare employees to use their own personal devices that are not adequately protected;
- Passwords or login credentials being stolen;
- Hackers becoming able to snoop or spy on data that is being transmitted through the cloud.
How Healthcare Facilities Can Mitigate Telehealth Security Risks
As with any new technology, there are always going to be initial risks and challenges. With healthcare technology, however, rapid deployment of cybersecurity measures is even more crucial, as data breaches put both the healthcare business and their patients at risk. Luckily, there are steps that medical facilities and their IT departments can take to mitigate these risks.
As technology has advanced, so too have cybersecurity measures. It’s just a matter of implementing them and having a quality IT department to continually stay on top of updates and potential threats.
Some of these measures to prevent cyber-attacks and data breaches include:
- Only allowing the use of secure connections and networks;
- Avoiding the use of individual, personal devices;
- Making sure the tech used is HIPAA-compliant;
- Avoiding giving access to third parties that have not been fully vetted;
- Limiting who has access to networks and data;
- Ensuring security software and virus protection are regularly updated;
- Using encrypted data;
- Regularly training employees on cybersecurity best practices;
- Having an incident-response plan.
Final Thoughts
Telemedicine and other healthcare technologies are not going anywhere and will only continue to become more commonplace. As such, it is crucial that medical providers and practices take steps to secure data the moment they start using new tech and telehealth services. There is no room for delay or error.
The second data starts being stored and shared in the cloud, it instantly becomes vulnerable if it is not protected. However, the more proactive healthcare providers are about their cybersecurity, the less likely they will be to put themselves and their patients at risk.
