The FDA has recalled about 500,000 internet-connected pacemakers over hacking fears

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recalled about 500,000 internet-connected pacemakers manufactured by Abbot Health over hacking fears, according to Engadget. The vulnerability will be fixed with an update to the devices' firmware.

The recall isn't good for the public's perception of connected health devices.

• The incident could heighten consumers' existing security concerns. Health data is highly personal in nature, and the number of patients affected by health data breaches hit a new high in 2015. As a result, 57% of global consumers who've been to a doctor in the past year are skeptical about the benefits of connected health devices, according to Black Book. And though pacemaker use in the US is widespread — an estimated 190,000 people in the US had a pacemaker in 2009, and that number's likely much higher now — consumers' security concerns about internet-connected pacemakers will likely hinder adoption.
• And that could prevent the space from reaching its full potential. Fueled by the advancement of artificial intelligence and falling cost of health equipment, global spending on connected health devices will rise to $612 billion in 2024, according to Grand View Research. But if consumers become more skeptical about the benefits of these devices, they'll likely be less willing to trust them to collect their health data, in or out of the doctor's office. That, in turn, could inhibit global connected health device spending from reaching the heights that many are currently predicting.

Health care is a multi-trillion-dollar behemoth of the global economy — but it has a complicated relationship with technology, embracing some innovative tools while resisting others. Whether patients and their doctors are ready or not, though, digital disruption in health care will only accelerate in the years ahead.

Technology makes it easier for doctors to perform complex procedures, gives them access to more powerful drugs, and helps them avoid harmful errors. But in the digital age, gathering and using data is just as important if not more so.

Peter Newman, research analyst for BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on digital disruption in health care that:

• Explains the role of digital technology in medicine, and how it is and will continue to disrupt health care.
• Provides an overview of disruption in clinical care, the health records space, and care in everyday life.
• Analyzes how the growth of digital health technologies will save time and reduce costs for the health care sector.

To get the full report, subscribe to an All-Access pass to BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report and more than 250 other expertly researched reports. As an added bonus, you'll also gain access to all future reports and daily newsletters to ensure you stay ahead of the curve and benefit personally and professionally. >> Learn More Now

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