☕ Let’s patch up

06-21-2024

Facing the myriad vulnerabilities in healthcare tech
Morning Brew June 21, 2024

Healthcare Brew

TGIF! If your weekend plans consist of eating cheese, you’re in luck: A new study of 2.3 million people found that the participants who reported the highest levels of well-being were those who ate more cheese. Apologies to our lactose-intolerant readers.

In today’s edition:

Ransomware aware

Amazon ever-expanding

—Billy Hurley, Maia Anderson

HOSPITALS & FACILITIES

The fix is not in

Medical robot with a bandaid and sparks Francis Scialabba

Hospitals are facing a patching conundrum. Like that old T-shirt from college, many orgs—including medical ones—hang on to tech that eventually needs a little mending. Software patches, usually downloaded from a vendor’s site, act as quick code replacements and (hopefully) fixes for discovered vulnerabilities.

Healthcare facilities, however, have a patchwork of devices: laptops, network-connected infusion pumps, sophisticated surgery systems, and other specialized instruments that must be kept both up to date and operating.

But ransomware actors have increasingly targeted hospitals—sometimes through both known and unknown vulnerabilities. Global ransomware attacks against the health sector have increased, according to The Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center, from 214 claimed victims in 2022 to 389 in 2023.

Former and current healthcare IT pros spoke with Healthcare Brew about tactics that helped them handle as many patches as possible. In their view, implementing safeguards like network segmentation and tabletop exercises for the holes that go unseen is just as important as having a patch management program.

A rough state. A report from the cybersecurity company Claroty, released in March 2024, found that 23% of the firm’s studied medical devices have at least one “known exploited vulnerability,” and 14% are running an unsupported or end-of-life operating system, a technology that has a newer version available, and often will no longer receive updates.

Keep reading here.—BH

   

FROM THE CREW

AI: The new doctor in town

The Crew

Did you miss our Bench to Bedside & Beyond: The Future of Health Tech event? Now you can stream it on demand to hear how AI is reshaping business operations and why staying ahead is essential. Grab your on-demand ticket and hear from healthcare leaders including Walgreens, Teladoc Health, eClinical Solutions, Pandia Health, and Mount Sinai execs. Get streaming!

PHARMA

Moving into Medicare

Amazon pharmacy: Pill bottle labeled with Amazon signage Francis Scialabba

Amazon Pharmacy announced on June 18 that, effective immediately, its RxPass medication delivery service will be available to more than 50 million Medicare beneficiaries, a move the company says could save up to $2 billion annually for the federal health insurance program.

The tech giant started RxPass—a $5 monthly subscription for unlimited generic drugs—in January 2023 in an attempt to compete with more established pharmacy players like CVS and Walgreens.

“Expanding RxPass to Medicare beneficiaries can help solve for affordability and access challenges among a patient population who experiences high levels of chronic disease,” Vin Gupta, chief medical officer at Amazon Pharmacy, said in a statement.

Under the RxPass program, Medicare beneficiaries can access 60 eligible prescriptions—including those that treat high blood pressure, diabetes, and anxiety—and have the option to connect with a pharmacist 24/7.

Keep reading here.—MA

   

TOGETHER WITH ZORO

Zoro

Safety starts here. It’s Safety Month and summertime, which means cooling solutions are top of mind. With tools like thermostats and roof ventilators, Zoro’s vast lineup of products helps healthcare businesses stay properly equipped to prevent safety hazards. Stock up on Zoro.com for success during summer + beyond.

VITAL SIGNS

A laptop tracking vital signs is placed on rolling medical equipment. Francis Scialabba

Today’s top healthcare reads.

Stat: $320 million. That’s how much North Carolina-based health system Novant Health was going to spend to purchase two Community Health Systems hospitals before scrapping its plans after an appeals court injunction spurred by the FTC. (Fierce Healthcare)

Quote: “This has got to stop: The FDA has to require that clinical trial data be reported by sex and age for us to tell if drugs work the same, better, or not as well in women.” —Stephanie Faubion, director of the Mayo Clinic’s Center for Women’s Health, on how women’s health has been understudied (KFF Health News)

Read: Recent anti-abortion lawsuits have been backed by “disputed, disavowed or subsequently retracted” research. (the Wall Street Journal)

JOBS

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