Cybersecurity Threats to Connected Healthcare Devices and the Role of APRNs in Patient Safety
Overview
This paper examines the emerging trend of cybersecurity vulnerabilities in connected medical devices within healthcare environments and their impact on patient safety and care quality. It argues that Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) play a critical role in advocating for security measures, implementing multifactor authentication in Electronic Health Records systems, and educating patients about data protection to mitigate cyber risks and ensure optimal patient outcomes.
What this coursework covers
- Introduction to cybersecurity threats in connected medical devices (anesthesia machines, MRI, ventilators, pumps)
- Literature review discussing cyberattacks' impact on patient care and Electronic Health Record system integrity
- Role of APRNs in promoting patient safety through advocacy, monitoring, communication, and patient education regarding cybersecurity
Preview
NU530 Unit 2 Discussion: New Trends in Healthcare
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NU530 Unit 2 Discussion: New Trends in Healthcare
One new trend that has affected patient safety and quality of care is the proliferation of connectivity in electronic devices within the healthcare environment. Unlike in past years, anesthesia machines, MRI machines, ventilators, and pumps are connected and exposed to cyberattacks. In contrast, most of these devices were designed and deployed when cyber security was never a significant concern for healthcare organizations and vendors. Therefore, most systems utilized to manage these devices lack updated security features and strategies to prevent malicious manipulation of hospital data generated and shared through these machines. This threatens patient safety and quality of care because they store and generate valuable information vital to in-patient care.
According to the literature, cyberattacks threaten patient care machines like surgery and drug delivery. Argaw et al. (2020) argued that cybercriminals impose vulnerabilities on the healthcare system, leading to delays and service delivery disruptions. This places patients' lives at risk. When the integrity of the Electronic Health Records (EHR) system is compromised, practitioners lose access to critical information that negatively impacts patient safety and quality of care.
The role of APRNs is to ensure patient safety and care quality. APRNs' primary mandate is to advocate for mitigation measures to promote patient safety and care quality (Woo et al., 2017). The goal is to ensure that EHR systems have proper authentication features, including multifactor authentications, to safeguard unauthorized access and manipulation of patient data.