Clinical decisions made by physicians mimic, in many ways, the processes batters use to hit a baseball. Everyday clinical care requires a high level of pattern recognition. Physicians use a patient’s history, physical exam, and current diagnosis, combined with laboratory values and other tests, to determine the final diagnoses that paint a patient’s condition. 

There has been a worrying jump in successful ransomware attacks in the U.S. as healthcare organizations are prime targets for other types of malware and computer viruses, too, because they are relatively easy targets and have the resources to pay off hackers.

Staffing problems and outdated equipment and software are healthcare’s top cybersecurity challenges, according to a June 2 report released by the Health Care Industry Cybersecurity Task Force, a federal task force established to fulfill requirements of the 21st Century Cures Act.

Treating less sick patients at a tertiary hospital is usually not cost-effective compared to a community hospital setting, and treatment of complex cases at the community hospital often produces less favorable outcomes that are not in the best interests of the patient.