|
|
Editor's Picks
|
Today's News Brought to you by HITECH and HIPAA
Today's editor's picks have a common theme: I blame my colleague Dom Nicastro, who's been covering HITECH and HIPAA lately like a man obsessed. And why shouldn't he? The deadline for business associates to comply with the HIPAA Security Rule and the use and disclosures provision of the privacy rule was February 17. And breach notification enforcement began yesterday, February 22. The first item comes from a survey by HCPro, Inc., the parent company of HealthLeaders Media. It garnered nearly 600 responses, mostly from HIPAA compliance officers and HIM directors. Most of them (89%) said they've done something to improve their HIPAA compliance program. For example, 74% have re-written policies and procedures, 71% have revised or drafted new business associate agreements, and 65% have conducted additional training. There's much more data in this story—one story in a three part-series, by the way. I told you he's been working overtime. [Read More]
HIPAA Lessons for Hospital Leaders
Now's a good time for healthcare leaders to immerse themselves in HIPAA compliance, writes Nicastro in another installment of the three part series. "'Security' often suggests 'techie stuff' passed off to the IT department," says Margret Amatayakul of Margret\A Consulting, LLC, in Schaumburg, IL. "I believe attending to privacy and security protections should start with the CEO and trickle down to everyone, including all members of the medical staff. It needs to be an extension of the Hippocratic Oath: Do no harm and keep your mouth shut." [Read More]
OCR: 32 Large Patient Data Breaches Since September
The Office of Civil Rights posted on its Web site a list of covered entities this week that have reported breaches of unsecured PHI affecting more than 500 individuals, fulfilling its obligation under HITECH. The organization, which oversees enforcement and compliance of the HIPAA privacy and security rules, reports that since September 22, 2009, 32 covered entities have reported breaches that affected at least 500 individuals. The most egregious breach case came from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, which affected 500,000 as a result of stolen hard drives, OCR reported on its Web site. [Read More]
Delays in HITECH Business Associate Provisions Likely?
Wishful thinking? A HIPAA privacy and security law firm is saying that OCR will delay enforcement of the HITECH provisions regarding business associates (BA) because it has yet to publish its own regulations surrounding those provisions. Hunton & Williams LLP blogged Friday that Adam H. Greene, Office of the General Counsel for OCR, said the BA provisions will be delayed until final rules addressing those provisions are published. Greene spoke Thursday at the American Bar Association's 11th Annual Conference on Emerging Issues in Healthcare Law. [Read More]
|
|
Tech Headlines
|
White House calls for new health IT task force
Healthcare IT News - February 23, 2010
Federal Committee Recommends Changes to EHR Meaningful Use Rule
Andrea Kraynak, for HealthLeaders Media - February 22, 2010
What Meaningful Use Means For You Now
Andrea Kraynak, for HealthLeaders Media - February 16, 2009
More than 75,000 computer systems hacked in one of largest cyber attacks, security firm says
Washington Post - February 23, 2010
More Americans using high-tech medicine, CDC finds
ABCNews.com - February 23, 2010
iPhone app tells wait time in ER at the Hospital of Central Connecticut
Hartford Courant - February 23, 2010
|
|
Webcasts
|
On Demand: ED Overhaul: Reduce costs, improve quality, and increase satisfaction
March 8: Physician Compensation Models in a Strained Economy
March 31: Beyond ROI: Prove the Success of Your Marketing Efforts
|
Sponsored Headlines
|
One kid, 3 ER admissions, 12 back-end systems. One eHealth ecoSystem. Learn how MEDSEEK is improving the patient experience.
|
Harnessing effective asset management in an uncertain economy from IBM
| |
Building a successful validation process and compliance support with IBM Maximo solutions
| |
Managing healthcare assets and optimizing asset utilization with IBM asset management tools
| |
Learn how Sisters of Mercy Health achieved its asset management goals in partnership with IBM
| |
|
| From HealthLeaders Magazine |
Beyond Meaningful Use
Technology can help the healthcare industry achieve better outcomes and cost savings, but only if providers incorporate decision-support tools and a coordinated approach to delivering care. [Read More]
|
|
|
| Service Line Management |
Imaging After the RecessionAfter freezing capital spending during the recession, hospitals are investing in imaging again. But reimbursement cuts and reform have changed the focus of the service line. [Read More]
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Audio Feature
Telemedicine Improves Efficiency in Neuropathology Department: Stephen Coons, MD, chief of neuropathology at Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, talks about how telemedicine improves efficiency in his department by enabling him to view images from the frozen section lab remotely in the hospital. Prior to the technology, he had to walk roughly an eighth of a mile to diagnose patients in surgery three to 10 times a day. [Listen Now]
|
|
|
|
|
|
