By Kirk J Nahra – By now, most people have felt the effects of the HIPAA Privacy Rule (from the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). HIPAA has set the primary standard for the privacy of healthcare information in the United States since the rule went into effect in 2003. It’s an important rule that creates significant baseline privacy protections for healthcare information across the country.
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By Matt Fisher – A hospital in Arkansas recently learned the lesson of the nuances contained within the HIPAA Privacy Rule. There are many uses and disclosures identified in the Privacy Rule that permit actions that would otherwise appear to be a breach.
Cybersecurity was identified as an increased business priority over the past year according to 87 percent of respondents in the newly released 2015 HIMSS Cybersecurity Survey.
By Matt Fisher – Stories appear almost everyday about medical records being improperly accessed, hacked or otherwise being stolen. The number of stories about such thefts is almost matched by the number of stories about the high value placed upon medical records by identity thieves and others.
By Matt Fisher – Potentially lost in all of the privacy, security, and health IT news coming out of the HIMSS Annual Meeting the week of April 11th, the ONC updated its Guide to Privacy and Security of Electronic Health Information (the “Guide”).
By Mike Semel – Just because you die your medical information isn’t free for the taking. The HITECH Act of 2009 says that your HIPAA privacy rights continue for 50 years past your death, providing safeguards but also questions, confusion, and frustration.
By Angela Kennedy – One year ago, I found myself putting in relentless effort to compile an accurate medical record for my daughter after she was diagnosed with the genetic disease Cystic Fibrosis at age 11. I experienced many frustrations in my attempt to gather my child’s medical records. Due to an incorrect entry in my daughter’s medical record, the inheritable condition was overlooked.
Health Information Exchanges (HIE) provide a means for HIPAA secure electronic communications between healthcare providers and is a key element in improving patient health and…
By Matt Fisher – The increased focus on HIPAA compliance and anticipated second round of audits makes clear the necessity for an organization to develop and implement comprehensive policies and procedures. The many settlement and breach announcements demonstrate that many issues occur because individuals do not fully understand what HIPAA is or what it does. A lack of knowledge, however, can be combatted though with good training