A survey released this past week by the cybersecurity company Kaspersky found that globally, the majority of providers have already implemented telehealth capabilities, with many saying their patients are more interested in virtual sessions due to their convenience.  

At the same time, many respondents flagged patient trust in the modality, with more than half of frontline remote telehealth providers experiencing cases where individuals have declined a video call with medical staff out of privacy or data safety concerns.  

"Healthcare professionals see a continued future with telehealth solutions, but many of them also believe that this will only be sustainable if there is a global improvement of data security for the solution," wrote the report authors.  

WHY IT MATTERS  

With a spotlight continuing to shine on the impacts of cybersecurity issues for healthcare providers, it's perhaps no surprise that patients would feel anxiety too.  

In addition to the 52% of providers who said such concern led patients to refuse video-based care, 81% of respondents cited their own fears around remote telehealth sessions.  

"These include concerns about how patient data will be used and shared from these sessions, as well as the security of data and any personal penalties that might arise in the case of a leakage from a remote consultation," said report authors.  

The report – which analyzed the results of 389 interviews with sole or joint decision-makers – found that about one-third of respondents said their organization has faced cybersecurity issues due to third-party technology vulnerabilities.  

Worryingly, only three in ten said they were "very confident" in their company's ability to effectively stop all perimeter breaches.

A slightly higher percentage said they had confidence in their organizations having adequate hardware and software IT security protection, and 38% said their company had the necessary measures in place to safely use telehealth.  

Some of the data was a bit more heartening: 70% of respondents said their organization had dedicated security awareness training for all employees whose work involves technology.  

"Despite the risks, there is still a positive future in store for telehealth and the general use of technology when it comes to health, with most of the medical community agreeing that telehealth and medical technologies will flourish and revolutionize the whole industry," said report authors.  

THE LARGER TREND

As telehealth utilization has spiked over the past year and a half, cyber experts have advised caution.   

The rapid spin-up of many programs, combined with the shift to remote work for employees, could act as "blood in the water" for bad actors, some warned.

The risks aren't just limited to synchronous video appointments. More healthcare providers have moved toward remote patient monitoring devices, which could also contribute to network vulnerabilities.   

"Security is not just within four walls," said Sri Bharadwaj, vice president of digital innovation and applications at Franciscan Health, in a recent interview on the subject with Healthcare IT News.  

ON THE RECORD  

"The healthcare sector has demonstrated its agility and solidarity throughout the COVID pandemic. The fast ramp-up of telehealth increased optimism regarding digital health.

"We must continue the momentum and build the readiness on technologies, patients and providers," said Dr. Chengyi Lin, affiliate professor of strategy at INSEAD, in a statement accompanying the Kaspersky report.  

Kat Jercich is senior editor of Healthcare IT News.
Twitter: @kjercich
Email: kjercich@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a HIMSS Media publication.