Hospitals and clinics need to take a methodical approach to privacy and security as they prepare to qualify for electronic health records incentive payments from Medicare and Medicaid under the HITECH Act, security adviser Phyllis Patrick says.
As healthcare organizations make broader use of wireless networks and devices, they must develop an aggressive risk management plan to address security threats, says security expert Rebecca Herold.
Medicare and the Department of Veterans Affairs have formally launched "blue button" projects that enable patients to more easily download certain health information from secure websites.
If patients express interest in joining online health communities that enable them to compare notes with others who have similar conditions, make sure they're aware of the privacy risks.
The United States should look to the European Union for examples of how to successfully protect the privacy of patient information, the co-author of a new report on electronic health records says.
In the year since the breach notification rule for personal health records took effect, no major breaches affecting 500 or more individuals have been reported, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
Researchers soon will offer recommendations on best practices for de-identifying data for research studies to protect patient privacy, a security issue highlighted in the HITECH Act.
A governmentwide coordination council soon will make recommendations on healthcare security issues, said David Blumenthal, the Department of Health and Human Services' national coordinator for health information technology.
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