By Amanda Seitz, Maia Rosenfeld, & Darius Tahir – A group of Democratic lawmakers is calling for the Trump administration to suspend a new surveillance program it quietly launched to collect the personal and identifiable health data of Americans who visit emergency rooms.
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By Matt Fisher – Revealing a data breach can be a hard action for an organization to take. The ongoing stream of notifications still generates attention, which is typically not positive when a security breakdown is revealed. At the same time, the notification is (or should be) unavoidable since the HIPAA breach notification rule is clear about what action is necessary.
By Frank Zamani – A physician needed to share large imaging files with a specialist. The hospital’s file transfer system was too slow, so she used Dropbox instead. Three months later, a compliance audit revealed PHI for 2,400 patients had been stored on an unauthorized platform, no encryption, no access controls, no business associate agreement. The potential HIPAA penalties: up to $1.7 million.
By Usman Choudhary – Email is the connective tissue of modern healthcare. From appointment confirmations to lab reports, care coordination notes to claims documentation, it is woven into nearly every clinical and administrative workflow.
By Devin Partida – One of the most crucial responsibilities in healthcare is protecting patient information. Federal and state regulations determine what healthcare professionals can share, but loved ones want to be involved and informed of what’s happening.
By Andrew Mahler – Imagine a large health system implementing an advanced AI-powered imaging tool designed to assist radiologists in identifying abnormalities in chest CT scans. The AI vendor’s marketing materials include data demonstrating faster turnaround times and reduced error rates, promising enhanced efficiency and accuracy.
By Jay Trinckes – In recent years, healthcare organizations have struggled to address the rising number of data breaches and cyberattacks plaguing the industry. The Change Healthcare breach in particular caused the exposure of the protected health information of as many as one in three Americans earlier this year.
By Zac Amos – Healthcare providers and information technology teams tirelessly safeguard systems against cyberattacks and preserve patients’ privacy. De-identification, one of their best defenses, has long been a staple in the industry, as HIPAA requires.
By Art Gross – In the fast-paced world of healthcare, safeguarding patient privacy remains paramount. Yet, despite the diligence exercised in patient care, one area where vulnerabilities persist is record disposal. From the cluttered file rooms to the maze of electronic data, mistakes are made that can jeopardize sensitive patient information.