On December 15, 2008, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published its 11 page report: Nationwide Privacy and Security Framework for Electronic Exchange of Individually Identifiable Health Information. The eight principles in this report underpin the HIPAA Administrative Simplification Privacy and Security Rule standards, provide a foundation of the Privacy provisions of the HITECH Act in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009, and are a key objective of proposed 2011 Objective recommendations for Meaningful Use published by HHS’ Health IT Policy Committee on June 16, 2009….
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Nationwide Privacy and Security Framework for Electronic Exchange: Key Meaningful Use 2011 Objective Recommendation
On December 15, 2008, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published its 11 page report: Nationwide Privacy and Security Framework for Electronic Exchange of Individually Identifiable Health Information. This report states: “[a] key factor to achieving a high-level of trust among individuals, health care providers, and other health care organizations participating in electronic health information exchange is the development of, and adherence to, a consistent and coordinated approach to privacy and security. Clear, understandable, uniform principles are a first step in developing a consistent and coordinated approach to privacy and security and a key component to…
Categories Meaningful Use, PrivacyLeave a commentNationwide Privacy and Security Framework for Electronic Exchange of Individually Identifiable Health Information
Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Numerous forces are driving the health care industry towards the use of health information technology, such as the potential for reducing medical errors and health care costs, and increasing individuals’ involvement in their own health and health care. To facilitate this advancement and reap its benefits while reducing the risks, it is important to consider individual privacy interests together with the potential benefits to population health. Download (Requires Acrobat Reader)
Categories Health IT and HITECH, Meaningful Use, Privacy, SecurityLeave a commentHHS’s Health IT Policy Committee 2011 Draft Meaningful Use Objectives and Measures for Public Comment
The HITECH Act of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009, provides an electronic health record (EHR) adoption incentive program for healthcare providers who adopt certified electronic health records and use them in a meaningful way to improve patient care. The incentive program begins in January 2011 and terminates at the end of 2014 for new adopters of certified electronic health record technology. HHS’ Health Information Technology (IT) Policy Committee released on June 16, 2009, two documents pertaining to the definition of “meaningful use” for public comment by 5 PM ET, Friday, June 26, 2009. These documents are the Meaningful Use…
Categories American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Health IT and HITECH, Meaningful UseLeave a commentHHS’s HIT Policy Committee Releases Draft Recommendations on Meaningful Use for Public Comment
The HITECH Act of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009, provides an electronic health record (EHR) adoption incentive program for healthcare providers who adopt certified electronic health records and use them in a meaningful way to improve patient care. The incentive program begins in January 2011 and terminates at the end of 2014 for new adopters of certified electronic health record technology. HHS’ Health Information Technology (IT) Policy Committee released on June 16, 2009, two documents pertaining to the definition of “meaningful use” for public comment by 5 PM ET, Friday, June 26, 2009. These documents are the Meaningful Use…
Categories American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Health IT and HITECH, Meaningful UseLeave a commentIntegrity: Mechanism to Authenticate Electronic Protected Health Information-What to Do and How to Do It
In our series on the HIPAA Administrative Simplification Security Rule, this is the implementation specification for the third Technical Safeguard Standard, Integrity. This implementation specification is addressable. Addressable does not mean “optional.” Rather, an addressable implementation specification means that a covered entity must use reasonable and appropriate measures to meet the standard. As we noted in earlier postings on HIPAA.com, business associates of covered entities will be required to comply with the Security Rule safeguard standards, beginning February 17, 2010. This requirement is one of the HITECH Act provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009. What to Do Implement electronic…
Categories SecurityLeave a commentIntegrity: What This HIPAA Security Rule Technical Safeguard Standard Means
This is the third Technical Safeguard Standard of the HIPAA Administrative Simplification Security Rule. It has one implementation specification: mechanism to authenticate electronic protected health information. This implementation specification is addressable. Addressable does not mean “optional.” Rather, an addressable implementation specification means that a covered entity must use reasonable and appropriate measures to meet the standard. As we have noted in earlier postings on HIPAA.com, business associates of covered entities will be required to comply with the Security Rule safeguard standards, beginning February 17, 2010. This requirement is one of the HITECH Act provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009….
Categories SecurityLeave a commentAudit Control: What to Do and How to Do It
In our series on the HIPAA Administrative Simplification Security Rule, this is the second Technical Safeguard Standard. There is not a separately described implementation specification. Rather, this standard’s implementation specification is connoted in the language of the standard and is required. As we have noted in earlier postings on HIPAA.com, business associates of covered entities will be required to comply with the Security Rule safeguard standards, beginning February 17, 2010. This requirement is one of the HITECH Act provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009. What to Do A covered entity is required to implement hardware, software, and/or procedural mechanisms…
Categories SecurityLeave a commentAudit Control: What This HIPAA Security Rule Technical Safeguard Standard Means
This is the second Technical Safeguard Standard of the HIPAA Administrative Simplification Security Rule. There is not a separately described implementation specification. Rather, this standard’s implementation specification is connoted in the language of the standard and is required. As we have noted in earlier postings on HIPAA.com, business associates of covered entities will be required to comply with the Security Rule safeguard standards, beginning February 17, 2010. This requirement is one of the HITECH Act provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009. Covered entities are required to have in place audit controls to monitor activity on their electronic systems that…
Categories SecurityLeave a commentAccess Control: Encryption and Decryption-What to Do and How to Do It
In our series on the HIPAA Administrative Simplification Security Rule, this is the fourth implementation specification for the Technical Safeguard Standard, Access Control. This implementation specification is addressable. Addressable does not mean “optional.” Rather, an addressable implementation specification means that a covered entity must use reasonable and appropriate measures to meet the standard. As we noted in earlier postings on HIPAA.com, business associates of covered entities will be required to comply with the Security Rule safeguard standards, beginning February 17, 2010. This requirement is one of the HITECH Act provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), signed by President Obama on February 17, 2009. What to Do Implement…
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