In “Hacking the Hippocratic Oath: Four Ways to Shield Patients from Ransomware Attacks,” Mohammad Waqas discusses the pressing need for enhanced cybersecurity in healthcare, emphasizing the sector's vulnerability to cyberattacks. Highlighting ransomware incidents in prominent hospitals, the article underscores the urgent moral imperative for robust cybersecurity practices in healthcare, akin to the principles of the Hippocratic Oath. Waqas recommends comprehensive risk analysis, cybersecurity awareness, strategic network segmentation, and securing external attack surfaces as essential strategies for protecting patient data and service continuity amid the increasingly digital and connected healthcare environment.

Hacking the Hippocratic Oath: Four Ways to Shield Patients from Ransomware Attacks - MedCity News MedCity News

Microsoft researchers have introduced the Phi-3 family of small language models (SLMs), which offer significant AI capabilities in a more compact, accessible, and cost-effective format compared to large language models (LLMs). The new models, including Phi-3-mini with 3.8 billion parameters, outperform models of comparable and larger size in various benchmarks. Inspired by early childhood learning, the Phi-3 models leverage innovative training data techniques and emphasize high-quality content to achieve their performance. These SLMs are now available through multiple platforms and are particularly suited for applications requiring swift responses, offline capabilities, and enhanced privacy, making AI accessible to more users and scenarios, such as rural areas with limited network access. Future Phi-3 models promise to expand the range of options available according to quality and cost, further diversifying the potential applications of AI in various environments.

Tiny but mighty: The Phi-3 small language models with big potential Microsoft

UC Davis Health has undertaken a comprehensive approach to address workflow challenges and improve physician satisfaction and retention through its Clinical Informatics department. Established seven years ago, this department has led several initiatives including leveraging user data to pinpoint and resolve pain points, implementing the Practice Experience Program for Health Informatics students, and optimizing clinician onboarding processes. Director Melissa Jost also emphasized personalizing EHR systems for physicians and improving communication and workflow through programs like in-basket management. These efforts have collectively contributed to a shift in culture and enhanced efficiency within the health system.

"The Culture Has Changed": UC Davis Health's Multifaceted Approach to Improving Workflow | healthsystemcio.com healthsystemCIO.com

A study published in JAMA Network Open assessed the effectiveness of using a large language model (LLM) to identify guardian authorship of messages in adolescent patient portals. Given HIPAA and minor consent laws, confidentiality is essential, but a significant number of adolescent portal accounts are accessed by guardians. The research tested GPT-4 on identifying such guardian-authored messages from a dataset and found high sensitivity (98.1–98.3%) and specificity (88.4–88.9%), outperforming prior natural language processing algorithms. This LLM-based approach could improve the detection of unauthorized access and enhance patient confidentiality in electronic health records.

LLM Use to Identify Adolescent Patient Portal Account Access by Guardians JAMA Network Open