Human Factors and Cybersecurity in NHS Virtual Wards

Abstract: The rapid evolution of healthcare technology, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, has seen a significant rise in the set-up and expansion of Virtual Wards by the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom. Virtual wards (also known as hospital@home) allow patients to get hospital-level care at home safely and in familiar surroundings, helping speed up their recovery while freeing up hospital beds for patients who need them most. Patients are reviewed daily by the clinical team and the ‘ward round’ may involve a home visit or take place through video technology. Many virtual wards use technology like apps, wearables and other medical devices enabling clinical staff to easily check in and monitor the person’s recovery. This paradigm shift, while revolutionary in extending healthcare services to patients remotely and out of the hospital, brings with it cybersecurity challenges sourced by the new infrastructure and directly relevant to the involved stakeholder’s human factors.The presentation will describe the context of NHS virtual wards explore the user interface design, usability, and accessibility of virtual ward technologies, and discuss how these factors impact both patients and healthcare professionals. Particular attention will be paid to the challenges faced by diverse patient groups, including the elderly and those with disabilities, in navigating virtual healthcare environments and how these characteristics affect the vulnerabilities of virtual ward technologies, from a human factors point of view. An examination of regulatory frameworks and standards, the role of patients and staff training in cybersecurity awareness, and the integration of advanced security measures within these new healthcare infrastructures. The presentation will discuss the importance of conceptualising the human-centric approach in maintaining and promoting cyber hygiene in Virtual Wards and propose a multi-disciplinary approach to address these challenges through privacy-by-design modelling of Virtual Wards, advocating for collaboration between patients, healthcare professionals, IT experts, cybersecurity specialists, and policymakers.

Keywords: Human Factors, Cybersecurity, Virtual Wards, Remote Monitoring, Telemedicine

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1004782

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