HSCA Releases Guidelines For Medical Device Manufacturers Concerning Cybersecurity and Patient Privacy

US Healthcare Supply Chain Association (HSCA) has released guidelines for medical device manufacturers and healthcare providers for the cybersecurity and patient privacy practices. The HSCA is aimed at advocating fair healthcare products and services practices and education to ensure efficient purchase and sale of the goods and services.

The new guidance released by the Healthcare Supply Chain Association contains categories like cybersecurity training and software, data encryption, and others such crucial categories associated with cybersecurity and patient data privacy. The guidance has provided some tips to the medical device manufacturers and healthcare service providers to identify key aspects before doing business with other medical device or service vendors.

The manufacturers and service providers should ensure that the vendors comply with the cybersecurity and data privacy standards.The Healthcare Supply Chain Association has released the guidance following a rapid adoption of telemedicine and virtual medical operations during the covid-19. The recent cyberattacks evidenced that the medical devices and services are vulnerable to such threats and could threaten the patient data and privacy. To leverage the supply chain and fill the gaps and harness all the benefits of technology, the HSCA has released the guidance.

The medical device security concerns came into light in the past year which brought at the forefront multiple vulnerability disclosures jeopardizing patient safety. The guidance will enable medical device manufacturers and service providers take informed and appropriate steps and mitigate security risks and maintain patient privacy and safety.