Improved data privacy equals improved revenues
According to a new survey, 94 percent of chief data officers (CDOs) from healthcare organizations and financial services firms say that deploying data privacy technology that enforces existing privacy regulations would result in increased revenues for their organizations.
The study from privacy technology specialist TripleBlind finds 37 percent of respondents estimate improved collaboration would increase revenues as much as 20 percent. In addition, 46 percent say increased data collaboration would give their organization a competitive advantage over others.
Attacks on healthcare organizations increase 90 percent
There has been a 90 percent increase in the number of healthcare organizations targeted by cyber-attacks, in comparison with the first quarter of 2022.
The latest cyber threat Landscape report from Kroll finds that while phishing continues to be the vector used for initial access, there has been a vast increase in external remote services (such as VPNs and RDP environments) being compromised, up 700 percent.
Interoperability and basic data are key to future of Smart Hospitals
In June 2021, the UK government announced a plan to transform how data is used across the health and care sectors. The goal is to give patients control of their health data and enable staff to save more lives through improved care and treatment.
One aspect of this strategy is the development of Smart Hospitals, which will use digital interoperability to redesign traditional hospital processes, systems, and infrastructures. The NHS is currently being urged to invest in Smart Hospitals -- both when building new hospitals, and when upgrading existing facilities with smart infrastructure.
Traditional telehealth is no longer the future of health care
Telehealth has taken the medical world by storm. Hospitals rapidly adopted these remote technologies out of necessity amid COVID-19, but it quickly became apparent that their potential goes even further.
Telehealth accounted for less than 1 percent of total health care volume before COVID, but it quickly became the norm. However, it won’t be the future of medicine. More than 70 percent of physicians are motivated to increase their telehealth use, and new technologies are emerging, so this practice is evolving. Here’s a look at how metaverse technologies are transforming the future of telemedicine.
'Dr. Google, am I unwell?' What is cyberchondria and how do you tackle it?
When you experience a persistent cold or a petulant pain in your arm, there is no hiding that paying your doctor a visit is not always your first port of call. Sometimes, when struck by a headache or an unexpected rash, the first reaction is to switch on your laptop and fire your pressing questions at Dr. Google. "Why do I have pins and needles in my leg?" "What is causing this mild chest pain?" "Is this mole dangerous?"
Some searchers are simply looking for basic information and take their findings with a pinch of salt. Others, instead, will spend hours skipping from one website to the next, worried about the array of intimidating diagnoses they have found. When this occurs, it is often known as cyberchondria.
To better healthcare with open data
Web scraping can be a force for good in the world. While it has been predominantly used by large corporations, more opportunities for non-profit use of web scraping have been becoming apparent.
Most of these non-profit projects focused on things such as catching corruption. However, it can be beneficial anywhere where data is public. Luckily, the global trend seems to be moving us towards the democratization of data where it becomes available to everyone.
Four dangers of self-diagnosing through the web
With an almost limitless amount of information available to us 24/7, it has become a common practice to turn to Google for answers to ailments. However, while in theory learning more about potential symptoms may help ease a person’s mind, the risk of self-diagnosing looms large. A Statista survey found that 68 percent of British adults diagnose themselves through the web at least every few months -- if not more regularly.
The issue with self-diagnosis is that it may deter people from visiting a doctor. Without medical expertise, self-diagnosis can often become misdiagnosis. Here we take a look at the key issues with self-diagnosing using the web.
Do we need a condom emoji?
Condoms are a great way to minimize the risk of both pregnancy and some sexually transmitted diseases. In fact, condoms have proven to be a solid defense against the spread of HIV -- the virus that leads to AIDS.
The question, however, is does the world need a condom emoji? According to the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the answer is yes. You see, today, the AHF has chosen to launch a campaign to try and convince the The Unicode Consortium to add a proper condom emoji -- not just using the balloon ? emoji in conjunction with an eggplant ? or banana ?. Why launch the campaign today, though? Because February 13 is International Condom Day!
How and why NHS Trusts must take a longer-term view over software procurement
Getting software right is no easy task -- especially in healthcare. It must be applicable to a near-endless list of users, applications, and contexts -- and these are constantly evolving. These inevitabilities, paired with the inherent difficulties of managing such a huge organization, unfortunately means that software is often not as effective as it can be -- and costs the UK's National Health Service (NHS) far more than it needs to.
The reasons for this are, of course, many, but the fix is remarkably simple; NHS Trusts must stop looking at the micro and the short-term, and instead think about how to procure software that is both flexible and delivers long-term value. Easier said than done, I know, but it is not impossible. Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing software.
Wearables, telehealth and AI -- healthcare tech predictions for 2022
Technology has had an impact on most areas of our lives. In the healthcare sector the pandemic has seen a rise in the use of remote consultations and more.
In the next year experts expect this to continue along with trends towards AI, wearables and more.
The Smart Hospitals of tomorrow need smarter software
The Internet of Things is one of the most exciting fourth-generation technologies being adopted today. It is certainly the most useful -- and not just for your Roomba or Alexa devices. Perhaps the most promising uses for this tech is healthcare, or as technobabble labels it, 'Smart Hospitals'. If paired with the right sensors and digital workflow tools, IoT will have a revolutionary impact on modern healthcare.
A shining example of what the hospital of tomorrow may look like is the Humber River Valley Hospital in Canada. It is arguably one of the best examples we have of a truly interconnected, digital hospital. For example, it has a fully online appointment schedule, a digital check-in, electronic path lab test ordering and results, an automatic Managed Equipment Service, a RIVA Chemotherapy Robot, and Automated Pharmacy Systems (with three-quarters of the hospital supply chain totally automated).
Telehealth takes off but security concerns persist
While 91 percent of medical organizations have already implemented telehealth capabilities, 52 percent of respondents have experienced cases where patients refused to use the services due to security concerns.
This is the key finding of a new research study by Kaspersky which also shows the pandemic has had a major effect with 44 percent of organizations implementing telehealth after COVID-19 hit.
The challenges for developers in the medical device sector [Q&A]
Across all industries developers are under pressure to deal with rapidly shifting requirements and faster turn around times.
But in highly regulated sectors like healthcare there are extra demands to ensure safety and compliance. We spoke to Roger Mazzella, senior product manager, medical at productivity platform The Qt Company to find out how developers can address these challenges while still meeting delivery times.
Over half of healthcare apps have a serious vulnerability
A new study from the Application Security Division of NTT Ltd reveals that 52 percent of applications in the healthcare industry have at least one serious vulnerability -- rating 'high' or 'critical' on the CVSS scale -- open throughout the year.
However, healthcare has performed 14 percent better than the industry average on remediating critical risks in the past three months. This represents a positive trend for healthcare, which historically performs below average based on a rolling 12-month analysis.
Manufacturing and healthcare among top targets for phishing attacks
A new report from cloud email and collaboration specialist Avanan shows healthcare and manufacturing as two of the top industries being targeted by hackers in the first half of the year.
The most attacked industries are IT, healthcare, and manufacturing. IT saw over 9,000 phishing emails in a one month span, out of an average of 376,914 total emails. Healthcare saw over 6,000 phishing emails out of an average of 451,792 total emails and manufacturing saw just under 6,000 phishing emails out of an average of 331,184 total emails.
Recent Headlines
BetaNews, your source for breaking tech news, reviews, and in-depth reporting since 1998.
© 1998-2025 BetaNews, Inc. All Rights Reserved. About Us - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy - Sitemap.