PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Thomas William Hoffman
AU  - Joseph Frederick Baker
TI  - Navigating our way through a hospital ransomware attack: ethical considerations in delivering acute orthopaedic care
AID  - 10.1136/medethics-2021-107876
DP  - 2023 Feb 01
TA  - Journal of Medical Ethics
PG  - 121--124
VI  - 49
IP  - 2
4099  - http://jme.bmj.com/content/49/2/121.short
4100  - http://jme.bmj.com/content/49/2/121.full
SO  - J Med Ethics2023 Feb 01; 49
AB  - Ransomware attacks on healthcare systems are becoming more prevalent globally. In May 2021, Waikato District Health Board in New Zealand was devastated by a major attack that crippled its information technology system. The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery faced a number of challenges to the way they delivered care including, patient assessment and investigations, the deferral of elective surgery, and communication and patient confidentiality. These issues are explored through the lens of the four key principles of medical ethics in the hope that they will provide some guidance to future departments who may experience such attacks.Data sharing not applicable as no datasets generated and/or analysed for this study. Not applicable.