A new study by cyber security firm Kaspersky has revealed that while 91% of medical organisations have already implemented telehealth capabilities, almost 52% of the patients refuse to use these services due to security concerns.
A recent press release by Kaspersky said 44% of the medical organisations made their telehealth services operational after the pandemic, while 47% had these operational during the pandemic.
Medical organisations have adapted to the new conditions and today 56% of healthcare institutions are planning to increase their investment in telehealth and virtual care solutions. According to the survey, global events in healthcare in recent years have changed people’s perception of the industry.
Kaspersky surveyed healthcare decision-makers to learn how the digital transformation of the industry is going and which problems they believe should be solved to create a world in which everyone can gain access to affordable, fast and quality care.
It is not only patients who are worried about their privacy, 81% of healthcare providers stated that clinicians in their organisation have voiced concerns about patients’ data protection when conducting remote sessions, and only 36% of respondents are very confident that their organisation has necessary security measures.
The research confirms that the security of telehealth is a concern for both providers and consumers.
The research found that 74% of respondents experienced cases where patients have refused a video call with medical staff, with 52% reporting that people declined telehealth services due to privacy or data concerns.
Other reasons cited included a general lack of trust towards telehealth (33%), unwillingness to appear on video (32%) and the absence of correct equipment (30%).
Since the privacy of sensitive patient’s data should be the first priority for any organisation, Kaspersky’s experts suggest that healthcare institutions establish a high level of cyber security readiness. M