A new guide from federal regulators on key privacy and security issues to address when adopting electronic health records is valuable. But additional guidance on risk assessments and other issues is needed.
Federal regulators have received hundreds of comments about proposed rules for Stage 2 of the HITECH Act EHR incentive program, sparking debate on many issues, including how to provide patients with prompt, secure access to their records.
Building public trust that electronic health records will remain private is essential to the success of federally funded efforts to boost EHRs and health information exchange.
The Privacy and Security Tiger Team, which advises federal healthcare regulators, likely will not meet again until after a batch of new regulations is released in the first quarter, says co-chair Deven McGraw.
A risk analysis, as required under the HIPAA Security Rule, is a critical and foundational component of an effective risk management process that helps covered entities, and their business associates, to perform their mission and protect the health information entrusted to them.
The National Institute of Standards...
The American Health Information Management Association plans to work with various states next year to move toward more uniform privacy and security requirements that are in synch with federal requirements, says Lynne Thomas Gordon, AHIMA's new CEO.
The lack of uniformity in federal and state privacy and security requirements is creating major challenges for health information managers attempting to comply, says Lynne Thomas Gordon, the new CEO of the American Health Information Management Association.
About 4.9 million patients treated in San Antonio area military treatment facilities since 1992 have been affected by a health information breach involving the theft of backup tapes for electronic health records.
With the announcement of a breach affecting 4.9 million patients in the Defense Department's TRICARE healthcare program, there have now been five incidents that each affected at least 1 million individuals since the HIPAA breach notification rule took effect.
A look at the health information breach statistics and the lessons learned - including the value of encryption - two years after the HITECH Act breach notification rule took effect.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has proposed new rules that would expand the rights of patients to access their health information through the use of health information technology.
A federal proposal that would require healthcare organizations to provide patients with a report listing everyone who has electronically accessed their records needs revamping, two regulatory experts agree.
"The lack of individual accountability over user accounts provides ample opportunities to conceal malicious activity such as theft or misuse of veteran data," VA Assistant Inspector General Belinda Finn says.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights entered into a resolution agreement with the University of California at Los Angeles Health System to settle violations of the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules.
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