The HITECH Act, which included changes to the HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules, was signed into law by President Obama in February 2009?a full five years ago.
Although the majority of the provisions of the HIPAA Omnibus Rule have become effective, many Breach Notification Rule revisions cause confusion for organizations.
As healthcare organizations launch their own patient portals, there are many privacy and security issues to address. A patient portal is a secure online website that gives patients convenient access to their PHI and allows them to communicate with their healthcare providers, including physicians and hospitals.
Hospitals can make better use of their electronic health record (EHR) system's audit functions not only to guard patient privacy but also to help prevent healthcare fraud, according to a new HHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) report.
