Tech outage fallout: Hospitals need strong response plans when systems go down
Chief Healthcare Executive
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Contributed by: Sarah Richardson
Summary
The recent worldwide computer outages, caused by a faulty software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, starkly highlighted the vulnerabilities in hospital systems. The impact disrupted access to electronic health records and led to postponed medical procedures. Experts underscored the need for robust response plans for such cyber incidents, emphasizing that these plans must be comprehensive, regularly tested, and updated to account for various scenarios, including long-term outages and key personnel unavailability. The Joint Commission advised hospitals to be prepared for critical systems being offline for extended periods and to involve multidisciplinary teams in the planning process. Hospitals must also be vigilant about their vendors' vulnerabilities and ensure they have contingency plans in place for vendor-related disruptions.
