Cybersecurity and Emergency Medicine: A Literary Review

Cyberattacks on healthcare delivery organizations (HDOs) have escalated in frequency and severity, with emergency departments (EDs) disproportionately affected due to their reliance on electronic systems and the critical time-sensitive nature of their services. Ransomware and other malicious software disrupt patient care, delay diagnostics, and compromise data integrity, posing immediate threats to patient safety and operational continuity.

This literary review explores how cybersecurity incidents impact emergency medicine (EM), focusing on themes of patient safety, operational efficiency, community impacts, and data integrity.

This literary review synthesizes findings from peer-reviewed articles and "gray literature" sources that demonstrate the effects of cybersecurity disasters on EM. Case reports illustrate initial responses and lessons learned from major cyberattacks on HDOs and their EDs. Retrospective studies reveal adverse ED patient outcomes and regional ripple effects. For instance, one study found that during a 2021 cyberattack, there was a significant increase in cardiac arrests, with neurologically unfavorable outcomes observed at an unaffected HDO geographically proximate to the facility experiencing the breach. Prospective simulations and surveys expose gaps in preparedness and cybersecurity hygiene among ED staff. Expert viewpoints and policy analyses underscore the need for informed consent regarding device vulnerabilities and advocate for integrating cybersecurity into disaster preparedness frameworks. Emergency physicians (EPs) are consistently identified as pivotal leaders in cyber-disaster response due to their adaptability and frontline experience.

Cybersecurity is a key pillar to the foundation of modern EM practice. EDs can withstand the adverse effects of cyberattacks through careful regional planning, realistic simulation-based training, and proactive cybersecurity downtime protocols-measures that are critical to safeguarding patient care. EPs must champion these efforts to mitigate the growing threat of cyberattacks and enhance healthcare system resilience.