Cybersecurity and Emergency Medicine: A Literary Review

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Health Informatics
• Cybersecurity in Healthcare

Background:

• Cyberattacks on healthcare organizations (HDOs) are rising, with emergency departments (EDs) being particularly vulnerable.
• Ransomware and malware disrupt critical patient care, diagnostics, and data integrity in EDs.
• These incidents pose significant threats to patient safety and operational continuity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the impact of cybersecurity incidents on emergency medicine (EM).
• Focus areas include patient safety, operational efficiency, community effects, and data integrity.

Main Methods:

• Literature review synthesizing peer-reviewed articles and gray literature.
• Analysis of case reports, retrospective studies, simulations, surveys, and expert viewpoints.

Main Results:

• Cyberattacks lead to adverse patient outcomes, increased cardiac arrests, and regional ripple effects.
• Gaps in ED staff preparedness and cybersecurity hygiene were identified.
• Emergency physicians (EPs) are critical leaders in cyber-disaster response.

Conclusions:

• Cybersecurity is fundamental to modern EM practice.
• Regional planning, simulation training, and downtime protocols enhance ED resilience.
• EPs must lead efforts to mitigate cyber threats and improve healthcare system resilience.