MercyOne in the Des Moines metro is part of the CommonSpirit health care system. For the past three weeks, facilities and providers in 21 states have been directly impacted by a crippling ransomware attack on their electronic health information (EHI). Now the dust is settling and EHI is coming back online (hopefully, with minimal damage to patients' medical records).
Let's take a few moments to better understand the cyber threats swirling about us and, as importantly, to appreciate the steps we can take as health care consumers and advocates to minimize harm and continue to achieve best health outcomes--in spite of a cyberattack. My op-ed in the Des Moines Register says it all: