Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1161749
52 CIO / HEALTH IT Hackers try to reroute payroll deposits at Texas health system By Mackenzie Garrity A fter Wise Health System fell victim to a phishing attack in March, the hackers used the information to access an employ- ee's information in an attempt to re- route direct deposit checks, accord- ing to the Wise County Messenger. The Decatur, Texas-based health system said the hackers tried to change around 100 payroll di- rect deposits. Wise Health System discovered the breach April 5 be- cause the hospital's payroll system requires paper checks be printed for payrolls after any changes are made by employees. The health system notified patients of the breach July 12. When payroll was being pro- cessed, Wise Health System dis- covered an unusual number of checks that needed to be printed. This red flag spurred an investi- gation that found hackers gained access to the system through a phishing attack in March, Wise Count Messenger reported. There has been no indication that the information was misused. All employees were still payed on time, and the health system required employees to change passwords immediately. Because the security breach oc- curred through a phishing attack, Wise Health System has notified 35,000 patients whose informa- tion was stored in the email ac- count that was affected. The email may have included patients' med- ical record numbers, diagnostic and treatment information and potentially insurance information. Wise Health System is offering af- fected patients identity theft pro- tection services. n Data breaches cost hospitals $408 per record: 5 things to know By Mackenzie Garrity T he U.S. healthcare system lost $6.2 billion in 2016 due to data breaches, with the average data breach costing healthcare organizations' $2.2 million, according to an HHS report, which includes data between 2016 and 2018. Five things to know: 1. Data breaches can be very costly for hospitals and health systems. A study from IBM Security cited in the report found that it cost healthcare organizations $408 per breached record in 2018. This is up from $380 per record in 2017. 2. Four in five U.S. physicians have experienced some kind of cyberattack. 3. To help prevent cyberattacks, HHS recommends adopting email protection systems, endpoint protection systems, access management and vulnerability management. Additionally, hospitals and health systems can incorporate med- ical device security to improve cybersecurity efforts. 4. Across healthcare organizations, 4 percent to 7 percent of hospitals' total IT budgets were spent on cybersecurity. Comparatively, cross industry cybersecuri- ty spending ranges from 10 percent to 14 percent. 5. Between 2016 and 2017, 1,309 records were inappropriately accessed by a single employee. n LabCorp rolls out direct-to-consumer blood tests By Emily Rappleye L abCorp, one of the largest clinical laboratory companies in the world, is now giving con- sumers the option to order their own blood tests online as it positions itself for a major expansion of brick-and-mortar testing sites in Walgreens stores. e company announced the new offering July 22 as an expansion of its "Pixel" platform. Pixel was launched in October 2018 with self-directed test kits, which allow people to screen them- selves at home for colorectal cancer, diabetes risk and lipid panels. LabCorp's newest offering allows consumers to go online and choose from 25 different test packages, which collectively cover 90 different lab tests. Test packages are targeted at various systems like thyroid health, kidney health and women's health. Aer consumers buy a package, they can visit a LabCorp location for a phlebotomist to collect a blood sample, and they then receive test results within a week through an online portal. LabCorp operates testing sites at 41 Walgreens stores and plans to expand to more than 600 Walgreens locations by 2022. LabCorp currently has a total of nearly 2,000 patient service sites. The test packages range in price from $19 for a routine urine analysis to $199 for the men's health package. Patients will pay out of pocket for the testing, as LabCorp says it does not bill to insurance companies. However, the price includes a review by an independent physician, and if test results indicate more intervention is needed, a physician group will contact the patient. "Consumers are becoming increasingly interested and engaged in monitoring their health and wellness," David King, LabCorp's chairman and CEO, said in a news release. "LabCorp continues to change the way care is provided by creating new channels to de- liver our offerings." n