ADVERTISEMENT
Managing Inpatient and Outpatient Cancer Care During a Cyberattack
A recent cyberattack on the University of Vermont Health Network led clinicians to report on the oncology-specific impact of the attack, hoping to implement oncology practices that can lessen the harm in case such an assault occurs (JCO Oncol Pract. 2021; OP2100116. doi:10.1200/OP.21.00116).
“Cyberattacks targeting health care organizations are becoming more frequent and affect all aspects of care delivery,” wrote Steven Ades, MD, MSc, University of Vermont Cancer Center, Burlington, VT, and colleagues, adding, “cancer care is particularly susceptible to major disruptions because of the potential of immediate and long-term consequences for patients who often rely on timely diagnostic testing and regular administration of systemic therapy in addition to other local treatment modalities to cure or control their diseases.”
Dr Ades and colleagues detailed the immediate challenges that the hematology and oncology departments faced during a cyberattack on the University of Vermont Health Network on October 28, 2020.
Communications and lack of EMR access were immediately impacted by the cyberattack, affecting response on inpatient, outpatient, and special patient care. There was a loss of individualized EMR chemotherapy plan templates and electronic safeguards built into multistep treatment preparation and delivery.
Schedules, patient information, encrypted communications platforms and radiology, and laboratory and pharmacy services were inaccessible, reducing clinical outpatient care delivery by 40%, and infusion visit volume by 52%. New patients were unable to access services for diagnostic evaluation, so command centers were created in order to oversee triage and allocation of systemic therapies. Some patients were transferred, in an effort to minimize delays.
“Oncology healthcare leaders and providers should be aware of the potential impact of a cyberattack on cancer care delivery and preventively develop processes to mitigate the impact,” Dr Ades concluded.—Marta Rybczynski
