Sentinel Event Alert 67: Preserving patient safety after a cyberattack (The Joint Commission. 14 August 2023)

Summary

The number of cyberattacks and information system breaches in healthcare has grown steadily, escalating from isolated incidents to widespread targeted and malicious attacks. In 2022, 707 data breeches occurred in the US, exposing more than 51.9 million patient records, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). 

To help healthcare organisations address this growing patient safety concern, The Joint Commission has issued this Sentinel Event Alert that focuses on risks associated with cyberattacks and provides recommendations on how healthcare organizations can prepare to deliver safe patient care in the event of a cyberattack.