Electronic Health Reporter

Response from Sarah Johnson, RN and the health ambassador, Family Assets.

I’m an RN and the health ambassador for Family Assets, an eldercare and senior living resource for older adults and caregivers.

Working in eldercare and watching how telehealth technology has radically reshaped geriatric care during the pandemic, I think the most important question healthcare technology professionals should be asking themselves right now is: given that hospitals and healthcare facilities have been prime targets for cybercriminals, largely because of aging infrastructure, what needs to be done to make the rapidly expanding healthcare tech industry more secure?

I think the obvious answer to this is the development of much more robust digital security protocols at individual institutions and a massive educational initiative for healthcare providers and workers. This should include, among other things, scheduled stress testing that probes for cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

Too many organizations, within and outside of healthcare, are completely unprepared for the cyberthreats they face and are not diligent enough when it comes to monitoring and probing for weaknesses.

All healthcare technology professionals should have this issue front and center