Devices & Diagnostics

Q&A: As IoT becomes more prominent, what increasing dangers do medical devices manufactures face?

Kevin Pollack, Vice President at Stericycle, a firm that helps companies in many industries handle recalls, shared input in a phone interview about what to expect moving forward and how IoT is effecting healthcare in particular.

healthcare big data

Global Internet of Things (IoT) in healthcare is expected to grow from $32.47 billion in 2015 to $163.24 billion by 2020, according to research from MarketsandMarkets.

This growth spurt is promising in some ways, but it also indicates an increasingly risky space with medical device safety and security vulnerabilities. Regulation and compliance requirements are one thing, but recalls could be much more prominent moving forward for manufacturers.

Kevin Pollack, Vice President at Stericycle, a firm that helps companies in many industries handle recalls, shared input in a phone interview about what to expect moving forward and how IoT is effecting healthcare in particular.

How does IoT fit in with how medical device development is working in particular at the moment?

I think the Internet of Things is a driving factor in the complexity for medical devices when it comes to recalls. We are seeing more and more devices connected with IoT, and it provides both a benefit and a risk.

The benefit is that it obviously makes it easier to monitor the devices, and it makes it easier for doctors to check and understand what is really going on and make sure devices are actually functioning properly. In that regard, the technology is a very good thing.

The downside of anything Internet connected is we are seeing that consumer products, it opens up the possibility for information to be accessed or devices to be hacked. That’s something medical device manufacturers are already hard at work on. It’s a potential risk that can cause recalls or other safety issues with devices.

What would it look like, moving forward, to potentially eliminate such threatening risks with security while still having connectivity?

The short answer is, there really isn’t any way too completely eliminate the risk. I think that medical device manufacturers are doing everything they possibly can to minimize the risk and close potential gaps. But as we’ve learned, doing about 4,500 recalls, there is always a potential risk. All you can do is work to mitigate it and really have a plan in case something does occur.

Do you believe that despite the large risks in place and potential issues that it is really a good thing over all to have IoT in place?

For our perspective in the device sector, our answer would be unequivocally yes. There are significant benefits to be able to have a connected device, both from a doctor and patient perspective. The benefits do outweigh the risks in most cases. I think the key is understanding the risks and having a plan in place.

How do you see things looking within the next five to 10 years with security within the medical device sector – more progress or even more risk?

Honestly, I think we are going to see both. We are really at the dawn of the connected device age, and we’re seeing healthcare really start to embrace connectivity. Medical devices are really at the cornerstone of that within healthcare. With these advances, there will be information security breaches. It’s not a matter of if, that will happen, it’s just a question of manufacturers continuing to do what they are already doing, which is ensuring that they are keeping codes up to date and making sure they have a plan should a breach take place.

What are your thoughts on some of the multiple major healthcare insurance company data breaches within the past year?

We’ve seen it within insurances companies as well as the consumer sector, and I think it’s indicative of the new world we’re living in. We’ve got so much data online, there are going to be breaches because there is a determined effort by hackers to get access to that.

Again, it’s not a question of if, but when. It’s not going to stop happening, despite everyone’s best efforts.

Beyond data breaches, do you have equal concerns about hackers being able to disable implanted devices or cause disruption from that angle?

We haven’t seen as much of that yet. It’s certainly a concern, but from what we’ve seen it’s harder to achieve. It is a possibility, but we’ve seen much more access to the data. First and foremost the concern is HIPAA-compliant information being exposed, but there is a concern that the efficacy or functionality of a device could be compromised.

Photo: Flickr user Muffet

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