Evaluating Physician Knowledge of Data Privacy and Cybersecurity Risks in Neuromodulation: An Online Cross-Sectional Survey.

Purpose: Data privacy and cybersecurity should both be seriously considered for all devices that interact with our patients. There is little education of patients and clinicians about the cybersecurity and privacy of implanted medical devices, and these considerations are likely not part of informed consent discussions. The FDA has made efforts to remedy this, including releasing suggestions on how best to counsel patients and updating industry cybersecurity considerations, however they are not currently legally binding.

Participants and methods: In this online survey, we assess the awareness, understanding, and interest of clinicians implanting neuromodulation devices in the topics of cybersecurity and device privacy.

Results: Clinicians were limited in their familiarity and awareness of these topics. The majority of responders do not counsel their patients on device cybersecurity and only sometimes counsel them on data privacy.

Conclusion: Patients and providers may have limited knowledge of data privacy and cybersecurity in implanted medical devices and further education should be undertaken to promote the impact of these issues.