Cyber attacks are increasingly common among physicians and can cost practices thousands of dollars, according to a new AMA study.
The organization surveyed 1,300 physicians and 83 percent said their practices had experienced a cyber attack in the past. Phishing attacks are sophisticated and can trigger malware including ransomware that blocks access to patient records. The attacks are an inconvenience, but 85 percent of respondents feel it's still important to share patient information electronically.
To protect against these attacks, practices are spending around $250,000 per year for a nine-physician group to $400,000 per year for regional medical centers with more than 50 surgeons in the group. This protection is especially crucial as physicians conduct more of their business online; 33 percent report they're likely to adopt telemedicine over the next year and 28 percent plan to adopt patient-generated health data in 2018.