Editor's Note Machine learning (ML) is enhancing OR efficiency by optimizing scheduling, predicting surgical durations, and reducing delays, according to a systematic review published February 21 in Cureus. However, privacy concerns, data access limitations, and the need for further validation remain barriers to widespread implementation. The review analyzed 21 studies…

Read More

Editor’s Note Backdoors in Chinese-made medical monitors could put patients at risk and compromise hospital networks across the US, according to security agencies quoted in a February 23 report from CNBC. The article cites the popular Contec CMS8000 patient monitor as an example. Both the US Food and Drug Administration…

Read More

Editor’s Note Entities covered by the HIPAA security rule may soon need to adapt to more prescriptive requirements, new compliance mandates, and significantly higher costs, according to a January 24 report from TechTarget. As outlined in a December notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), the proposal by the Department of Health…

Read More

Editor's Note The first federal overhaul of the HIPAA Security Rule in over a decade aims to address modern cybersecurity threats but has drawn sharp criticism from health systems over its cost and feasibility, according to a January 13 article in Axios. According to the article, the proposed changes require…

Read More

Editor's Note UC San Diego Health plans to pilot artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled camera systems to enhance patient safety, addressing risks like falls and bedsores, but leaders are also acknowledging challenges related to patient consent, compliance, and privacy. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported the news January 5. According to the article,…

Read More

Editor's Note Between 2018 and 2024, ransomware attacks on US healthcare organizations compromised nearly 89 million patient records and resulted in downtime costing an estimated total of $21.9 billion, according to a December 18 report from Comparitech. The report tallies 654 total ransomware incidents during this period targeting hospitals, clinics,…

Read More

Editor's Note "Why is healthcare cybersecurity so bad?" This is the central question explored in a December 4 video from STAT health tech reporter Brittany Trang, who also wrote an article on the subject earlier this year. Brought into sharp focus by data exposures related to the recent attack on…

Read More

Editor's Note A November 13 report from The Government Accountability Office (GAO) identifies critical gaps in the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) ability to manage cybersecurity risks in the healthcare and public health sector. HHS, the lead federal agency for cybersecurity in this sector, faces challenges in monitoring…

Read More

Editor's Note Cybersecurity threats in healthcare are increasingly driven by third-party vendors, affecting millions of patients and hospital systems globally, experts John Riggi and Richard Staynings emphasized at the HIMSS Healthcare Cybersecurity Forum. Healthcare Finance News reported on the experts’ testimony November 5. According to the article, cyberattacks have surged…

Read More

Editor's Note Iranian cyber actors employing techniques such as brute force, password spraying, and multifactor authentication (MFA) "push bombing" to compromise healthcare and other critical infrastructure sectors, the American Hospital Association (AHA) reported October 17. The report cites an October 16 joint advisory issued on October 16 by the FBI,…

Read More