The adoption of next-gen digital technologies has been (and still is) gaining substantial momentum across various industries, reshaping how traditional business models and workflows produce the necessary products and services. Teams in healthcare, logistics, manufacturing and more are increasingly encouraged to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), plus new apps, software and blockchain technologies in order to amplify operational safeties and successes.
Let’s noodle one of those mentioned sectors, specifically:
Healthcare.
As the healthcare sector continues to digitize its processes and data (while adopting a slew of what is pitched as “the latest and greatest” in smart tech), new challenges and security risks pop up like new-age a Whac-A-Mole simulation. Thus, IT professionals are tasked with managing a seemingly nonstop-growing portfolio of devices, sensors and other hardware that can create significant security concerns.
SOTI, an innovator when it comes to simplified business mobility and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, sought more information regarding the scale of these security risks. So, SOTI conducted new global research and recently released it. Titled “The Technology Lifeline: Charting Digital Progress in Healthcare,” the report was able to cover 1,450 interviews with IT professionals in organizations providing frontline patient-facing healthcare services across nine separate countries in North America, Europe and in Australia.
The long-story-short takeaways:
- 78% of SOTI’s respondents in these frontline services have experienced at least one data breach since 2021. This isn’t the most dangerous statistic out there, but it’s still troubling. This represents an 11% year-over-year increase in these events occurring. (e.g. DDoS attack, accidental data leak, malware or ransomware, etc.)
- 47% of IT professionals reported an increase in an oversaturated mix of devices (e.g. mobile devices, tablets, rugged devices, and printers). To boot, 36% reported an increase in the use of personal devices to access main company systems and networks; this is a bigger statistic for SOTI, given how (without proper oversight and maintenance), device malfunctions, worrisome compatibility issues and a higher likelihood of breaches “can undermine our critical healthcare processes, hindering professionals’ abilities to deliver timely and accurate care,” said Shash Anand, SVP of Product Strategy at SOTI.
- 37% of surveyed healthcare workers agreed that tablets and smartphones can pose huge risks (without direct management or monitoring). Additionally, the problems posed by outdated or legacy systems – even when monitored – can’t be overlooked. New technologies are a priority, as a whopping 93% of SOTI’s respondents claimed. AI and VR, namely, are actively being investigated in each country surveyed.
Lastly, automation. The benefits of automating manual processes became even more apparent to SOTI, with just shy of half the respondents revealed that at least one (if not more) manual processes used within their healthcare-centric organization would see benefits from smarter automation. Per SOTI, examples of such processes and the total percentages of respondents backing the anticipated benefits include:
- Collecting data during patient visits (48%)
- Accessing general medical information/resources (45%)
- Accessing and updating patient records (45%)
- Accessing test results (40%)
“This is about long-term resilience,” Anand added. “The consequences of major security breaches in the healthcare sector go beyond financial costs and regulatory penalties. Data security breaches in this sector not only compromise sensitive patient and worker information, but can also erode trust between patients and their healthcare providers.”
The full report from SOTI (including suggestions for advanced diagnostic intelligence solutions) can be downloaded and read here.
Edited by
Greg Tavarez
