HHS wants to update confidentiality rules that govern the medical records of substance use disorder patients, according to a proposed rule released August 22.
Q: We do in-depth HIPAA assessments for our clients, but some clients want a simple assessment that they can keep up with them to maintain compliance. Do you have any recommendations for streamlining security assessments?
Q: I work in a residential care facility, and we have smart speakers in some resident rooms. Patient information is discussed where these smart devices can “hear” it. Although most manufacturers claim speakers are not “listening in,” we all hear about how speakers sometimes do what manufacturers say they do not. Could these speakers lead to a HIPAA violation?
The New York City Fire Department (FDNY), which operates ambulances, disclosed in August that 10,253 patients treated or transported by the FDNY from 2011 to 2018 may have had their protected health information (PHI) compromised after an external hard drive containing unencrypted data went missing in March, according to an FDNY press release.
