When it comes to issuing regulations that affect the privacy and security of healthcare information, federal authorities have plenty on their to-do list as 2012 begins.
The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to redouble your organization's breach prevention efforts. After all, no one wants to see their organization's name on the federal breach list.
Enforcement and class actions are what the year 2011 will be remembered for in privacy. So, how can pros prepare for the inevitability of a litigious and increased-enforcement environment?
The federal "wall of shame" tally of major healthcare information breaches now lists 380 incidents affecting more than 18 million individuals. Meanwhile, yet another class action lawsuit has been filed in the wake of a breach.
A free HIPAA Security Rule Toolkit can help healthcare organizations identify areas where additional security safeguards are needed, says Kevin Stine, who helped guide the project.
Healthcare policy advisers, associations and information security professionals are pressing federal regulators to issue long-overdue HIPAA rules as well as more extensive compliance guidance.
The delay in the release of final versions of HIPAA modifications and the HIPAA breach notification rule makes it difficult for healthcare organizations to set information security investment priorities, says hospital privacy officer Kari Myrold.
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.
Smaller hospitals and clinics soon will get some extra guidance from federal regulators about preparing risk assessments. But a federal advisory group has urged the Department of Health and Human Services to offer far more guidance on a variety of information security issues.
The firing of a hospital staff member who inappropriately accessed former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno's records sends a strong signal about the importance of protecting patient privacy.
New York-Presbyterian Hospital has developed a breach response checklist that others should consider as they create their breach resolution game plans.
2011 has offered quite a number of tough lessons for security professionals. Here at (ISC)2, where security education is our focus, the close of another year raises the old teacher's question: "What have we learned, class?"
One key reason why encryption isn't more widely used in healthcare is that some information technology specialists have outdated perceptions about the technology, contends security expert Melodi Mosely Gates.
A new, free HIPAA Security Rule Toolkit is designed to help healthcare organizations conduct a thorough risk assessment, says Kevin Stine, who helped guide the project for the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
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