May 30, 2024
Providers | Tea Leaves
  • A recent review in JAMA highlights the ripple effects of hospital ransomware attacks, revealing that such cyber assaults reduce admissions and emergency visits at targeted hospitals and prompt an increase in visits to neighboring unattacked hospitals. Conducted by researchers from William Paterson University and RAND, the study examined patient volumes in California, indicating an initial 8 percent reduction in admissions and emergency visits at compromised hospitals, peaking at 16 percent to 17 percent in the second week post-attack before returning to normal within eight weeks. Moreover, nearby hospitals experienced a surge in emergency department visits, suggesting broader repercussions beyond the directly targeted institutions, particularly accentuated since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. (Article here)