Evaluating Physician Knowledge of Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Risks in Neuromodulation: An Online Cross-Sectional...

Area of Science:

• Medical device security
• Health informatics
• Patient safety

Background:

• Data privacy and cybersecurity are critical for all patient-interacting devices.
• Limited education exists for patients and clinicians regarding the cybersecurity and privacy of implanted medical devices.
• These crucial considerations are often omitted from informed consent discussions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess clinician awareness, understanding, and interest in cybersecurity and data privacy for neuromodulation devices.
• To evaluate current practices regarding patient counseling on these topics.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was conducted among clinicians who implant neuromodulation devices.
• The survey focused on awareness, understanding, and interest in device cybersecurity and data privacy.

Main Results:

• Clinicians demonstrated limited familiarity and awareness of cybersecurity and data privacy issues related to implanted devices.
• The majority of surveyed clinicians do not counsel patients on device cybersecurity.
• Clinicians only sometimes counsel patients on data privacy concerns.

Conclusions:

• Both patients and healthcare providers possess limited knowledge regarding data privacy and cybersecurity for implanted medical devices.
• Further educational initiatives are necessary to underscore the significance of these issues in healthcare.