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Outdated systems, shadow AI threaten healthcare cybersecurity
Outdated technology, shadow AI and inefficient IT systems are fueling healthcare cybersecurity challenges, clinician burnout and patient safety concerns, new data shows.
More than 60% of surveyed healthcare professionals said they do not have modern and effective systems that enable them to work efficiently, new data published by IT company Presidio found.
The research was conducted by Censuswide and involved surveying more than 1,000 frontline healthcare professionals directly involved in patient care.
Legacy tech leads to security risk
The survey revealed an ongoing reliance on legacy systems and frustration with outdated technology, which can lead healthcare professionals to use risky workarounds that create compliance and cybersecurity gaps.
Nearly 90% of respondents reported that their current systems fail to meet their needs, and 98% stated that outdated technology leads to delays or errors in patient care.
"Outdated systems are a strategic liability," the report stated. "Healthcare professionals lose hours each week to inefficient tools, with direct consequences to patient care, organizational performance, and efficiency."
Healthcare professionals pointed to EHR systems with latency issues, disconnected and fragmented platforms and lack of mobile access as barriers to efficiency in clinical environments.
What's more, nearly a quarter of respondents admitted to using workarounds for basic tasks, creating blind spots for security as data is handled outside of sanctioned systems.
"Shadow IT poses a major threat to healthcare data security, as these tools often lack essential safeguards such as encryption, role-based access controls, and audit trails," the report noted.
In addition to cybersecurity and compliance concerns, respondents indicated that outdated and inefficient technology has contributed to clinician burnout, lower productivity and patient care delays.
AI could fill gaps if implemented correctly
Healthcare professionals struggling with the realities of inefficient tech on a daily basis are increasingly turning to AI as a potential way to improve workflows, the report suggested. Nearly 100% of respondents reported believing that AI would have an immediate positive impact on their organizations, whether through real-time clinical decision support, personalized treatment recommendations or other applications.
However, healthcare's willingness to embrace AI could lead to instances of shadow AI, wherein tools are adopted without the proper security and governance controls approved by the organization.
"The risks are growing as employees increasingly turn to non-sanctioned AI solutions to fill gaps left by outdated technology," the report stated. "While these tools may help them move faster in the short term, they can also expose sensitive data to external platforms, compounding the compliance and security challenges healthcare leaders already face."
Even as excitement about AI continues to grow, there is a notable gap between demand and deployment, the report emphasized. Only 35% of respondents said that their organizations were using real-time data at scale to support clinical decision-making.
Healthcare is still in the early stages of realizing AI's value. Proper implementation and governance surrounding AI tools will be crucial to ensuring security and patient safety while decreasing healthcare's reliance on outdated systems.
Jill McKeon has covered healthcare cybersecurity and privacy news since 2021.
