ransomware damage Attacks on the healthcare sector are on the rise.
Attacks on healthcare providers doubled from 2016 to 2021, exposing the data of 42 million patients. new research At the JAMA Health Forum. Attacks are hitting larger organizations with multiple facilities more often than ever before.
Researchers at the University of Minnesota and the University of Florida said, “Ransomware attacks against healthcare delivery organizations are increasing in frequency and sophistication.” Disruptions to care during ransomware attacks can threaten patient safety and outcomes. I have.”
Researchers found that more than two out of five attacks (44.4%) impeded patient care delivery. The electronic system had him down 41.7% of the time, with treatment canceled 10.2% and an ambulance diverted 4.3%.
Other findings:
— Nearly one-fifth of attacks involved attackers exposing protected medical data to the public via the dark web.
— Clinics and hospitals were the most frequently targeted medical institutions.
— Approximately 16% of attacks disrupted operations for more than a week.
The researchers noted that underreporting likely led to underestimation of the findings.
They found that about 20% of attacks go unreported to HHS’s Office of Civil Rights. This allows healthcare organizations to ensure patient records are protected.
Also, more than half of ransomware attacks were not reported in a timely manner. The authors suggest that this may be due to his relative inability to enforce HHS.
Why healthcare is fragile:
— Medical interruptions can have a significant impact on patients and can force healthcare providers to pay ransoms.
Congress can:
— Strengthen rules for reporting attacks.
“The lack of attacks and delayed reporting presents an opportunity for legislators who want to enhance data collection on cyberattacks, especially ransomware, to shape well-informed and well-targeted policy responses. suggests,” the researchers wrote.
Here we explore the ideas and innovators shaping healthcare.
Don’t want to train for long hours?A burst of exercise for a minute or two, apparently like climbing stairs may be enough To reduce the risk of death, according to new research.
Share other thoughts, news, tips and feedback with Ben Leonard. [email protected]Ruth Leader [email protected]Carmen Pawn [email protected]or by Erin Schumaker [email protected].
Send tips securely Via SecureDrop, Signal, Telegram, or WhatsApp.
today
pulse check
Podcast:
Lauren Gardner talks to Carmen about the World Health Organization’s warning that the new Omicron subvariant XBB.1.5, which has become the dominant Covid-19 strain in the US, could trigger a new wave of cases.
home test Public health officials believe that screening for cervical cancer may help prevent deaths from the disease.
The National Cancer Institute Self-sample screening test Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted disease that is the leading cause of cervical cancer. The study is called the “Last Mile Initiative,” and the cancer institute will work with private companies to develop the test. The trial he is scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2023.
HPV screening at home gain popularity in Europe, Africa, South America, Southeast Asia and Australia.
While screening rates declined in many parts of the world during the pandemic, Sweden boosted screening rates by sending 330,000 HPV test kits to women. Test coverage increased from 75% to 85%. At-home kits, now available from her GP, are her option for routine HPV testing in the country.
Jeff Andrews, vice president of health care at BD, a cervical cancer test manufacturer in New Jersey, said the sample collection method will likely pave the way for at-home screening for other types of cancer. said.
Important reasons: According to a new Harris Poll survey commissioned by BD, 1 in 10 women have never had their cervix tested for cancer or precancerous cells, putting them at an increased risk of getting cervical cancer. increase.
A mid-November survey of 872 U.S. women ages 18 to 64 found that more than 70% had delayed testing. Also, Hispanic and black women were less likely to be screened than white women.
of American Cancer Society recommends that women aged 25 to 65 be screened for human papillomavirus (HPV), the leading cause of cervical cancer, every five years or screened for possible cervical cancer every three years. (known as a Pap test).
About 4,000 women die each year in the United States from cervical cancer, which is largely preventable through vaccination and screening.
almost a quarter Percentage of women who were past due for cervical cancer screening before the Covid-19 pandemic the test plummeted After the coronavirus arrived, according to an American Cancer Society analysis.
HPV vaccination to help prevent cervical cancer is increasing but still suboptimal. In 2021, more than three-quarters of her-quarters of U.S. adolescents will receive at least one of her three doses of the vaccine, but the vaccination schedule was up to date He was only 62%. Latest CDC data.
coronavirus omicron Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organization’s Covid-19 technical director, said Wednesday that the XBB.1.5 strain has become the dominant strain in the United States, but this could trigger a new wave of cases. rice field.
Still, Van Kerkhove and other top health officials aren’t sure that immunity built up by vaccines or previous infections means more people go to hospitals or die.
What we know: Subvariant increased from 4% to 40% of sequenced cases in the US in just a few weeks, according to the White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator Tweeted by Ashish Jha Wednesday.
However, the United States much less suffering From Covid than a year ago. Mortality was about seven times higher this time last year, and hospitalizations were almost three times higher. However, both categories have declined at various points in the pandemic, with XBB.1.5 spreading rapidly, and hospitalizations are rising in England, reaching about 40% of last year’s levels. .
Van Kerkhove said the increase in hospitalizations in the Northeast could not be attributed to XBB.1.5, as other respiratory illnesses, including influenza, may be partly responsible.
What’s next: Jha said Americans’ immunity to XBB.1.5 is “probably not great” if their previous infection was before July or if they were not vaccinated with the bivalent vaccine that became available in September. I warned you.
He tells people to get bivalent boosters, test for Covid before attending large gatherings, and take high-quality shots in crowded indoor spaces before meeting with the elderly or those with weakened immune systems. I advised him to wear a mask.
