Is Health System Consolidation Putting Patients at Risk?

TLDR:

• Cybersecurity attacks in healthcare are increasing due to consolidation.
• Consolidation is saving rural hospitals but leading to reduced services and patient inconvenience.

Richard Staynings, a healthcare cybersecurity expert, discusses how hospital consolidation is impacting patient care and cybersecurity in the US healthcare system. Consolidation has led to cost savings and technological advancements but also reduced competition and patient choices. While consolidation has saved rural hospitals, it has led to reduced healthcare services in many areas due to the centralization of expensive diagnostic and treatment services in large city hospitals. This has resulted in financial strain on health systems, limited access to medical resources in remote facilities, and patient inconvenience such as longer travel times for necessary treatments. Single points of failure have emerged due to consolidation, as seen in the Change Healthcare cyberattack which affected numerous health systems. The lack of resiliency in the healthcare industry makes it vulnerable to cyber threats and impacts patient care. Staynings highlights the need for diversity in service providers and the importance of investing in cybersecurity to mitigate risks in the healthcare sector.