ANDY BRIDDEN, MAYUR PATEL
PA Consulting, United Kingdom

Abstract

Drug delivery and medical devices are increasingly becoming connected, offering real benefits to patients and healthcare providers. Such advances offer care that is safer, faster, and more convenient for patients. Patients who get information on their mobile phone on whether they have administered their drug dose correctly, for example, will not need to visit the clinic as often. These connected devices are vulnerable to a range of cyber threats with several incidents being flagged by the FDA. Addressing cyber risks requires focussed effort from the early stages of the design of the device and throughout its lifecycle.
The article outlines key recommendations to help reduce the cyber risk of connected medical devices and ensure cyber security is embedded into the design.

Drug delivery and medical devices, from pacemakers to diagnostics, are increasingly becoming connected and offering real advances in the delivery of healthcare. These devices contain software that connects to the external world to share or receive data, and provide benefits such as compliance, adherence and monitoring vital signs. It is essential to ensure these devices are cyber secure.

In addition to being increasingly connected, devices such as wearables, implants, and drug delivery systems are becoming more advanced, using data analytics and machine learning technologies. These advances offer care that is safer, faster, and more convenient for patients. For example, patients who get information on their mobile phone on whether they have administered their drug dose correctly will not need to visit the clinic as often. Connected pacemakers can be programmed remotely based on changes in the condition of patients’ hearts which can prevent more invasive intervention. Diabetic patients using their connected mobile app in a closed loop with blood glucose meters and insulin pumps can ensure their blood glucose levels are maintained. Most hospital systems fr ...