Cyberattack Forces Doctors to Resort to Paper Orders and Manual Methods for Patient Care

Medical facilities in over a dozen states have been thrown into disarray following a cyberattack on Ascension, one of the nation’s largest health systems, which operates around 140 hospitals in 19 states and the District of Columbia. The attack, which occurred on May 8, has forced doctors and nurses to resort to manual methods of recording patient data and treatment orders due to the unavailability of computerized records.

Delayed Patient Treatment

As a result of the cyberattack, patients have experienced prolonged wait times in emergency rooms, with their treatments being delayed as medical personnel struggle to manually transport lab results and machine readings. This makeshift approach lacks the efficiency of electronic uploads, causing disruptions in patient care.

Impact on Healthcare Payment System

The cyberattack on Ascension bears similarities to the hack of Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group, which manages the nation’s largest healthcare payment system. The attack on Change Healthcare led to the shutdown of digital billing and payment routes, disrupting communication between healthcare providers and insurers. Consequently, patients were unable to fill prescriptions, and healthcare providers were left without payment for the care they provided.

As of now, medical personnel are still grappling with the aftermath of the cyberattack, highlighting the vulnerabilities within the healthcare system and the need for robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard patient care and critical healthcare infrastructure.