There are so many rules that involve HIPPA. Whether you go to a doctor’s office, a hospital or in the medical facility you are given a HIPPA form that states how your medical records are confidential. Ever sense HIPPA was established. I have always wondered how safe my medical records are. Recently, I watched Michael…
Category Archives: HIPAA Security
Updated Brabeion Software Keeps Users Compliant
Brabeion Software has updated their products with a new software called Brabeion Compliance Center 6.0. It allows users to keep up with regulatory compliance. “With the addition of these regulatory modules, Chevron is better positioned to more proactively manage, deploy, and mitigate ongoing compliance efforts for SOX, HIPAA and other global regulatory requirements,” said Jay White, Global Information Protection…
Configuresoft’s Updated Manager Tool
Configuresoft makes software that helps clients manage their technology and privacy concerns. This software can audit and monitor both your hardware and software allowing you to spend your time elsewhere. Configuresoft has now updated this already impressive software. Colorado Springs-based ConfigureSoft has upgraded its Enterprise Configuration Manager (ECM) software. The firm said yesterday that its…
April 21: Deadline for Small Health Plans to Comply with HIPAA
The deadline is looming, according to Business & Legal Reports: The deadline for small [health] plans to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) security standards is drawing near. The security standards are a corollary to the HIPAA Privacy Rule, which created national standards to protect individuals’ medical records and…
Barbara Clark’s HIPAA Lawsuit & Investigation
A press release came across the wire recently, put out by Barbara Clark’s people, stating: Nearly one year ago, Barbara Clark, a former Adventist nurse, filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) concerning the breach of confidentiality of her medical records under HIPAA; the federal Health Insurance Portability and…
Data Security Problems, and What is Being Done
Here are some excerpts from an interesting article about information security. It relates to fulfillment of regulations, like ones given by HIPAA, as well as the shortcomings of companies and organizations in relation to their protection of sensitive data. It is pretty interesting: Despite the increased awareness, the recent frequency of security breaches seems to…
InformationWeek: Feds Need to Push Nationwide Healthcare IT Security
InformationWeek is reporting: A federal advisory panel on Tuesday issued a 14-point report of recommendations for what’s needed to develop, implement, and foster the secure nationwide exchange of electronic medical information. The report was issued by the Commission on System Interoperability, which was created by Congress as part of the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003….
HIPAA Wi-Fi Guidelines
Jeff over at HIPAA Blog has some Wi-Fi and HIPAA Integration guidelines, courtesy of Hospital Compliance Wire: 1. Make sure the wi-fi access for your patients is separate from your clinical information systems. It should operate as if the wi-fi access route was operated by the business next door. Remember, even if your clinical systems…
St. Joseph Hospital Medical Records Stolen?
The privacy spot reports: According to the Houston Chronicle, Christus St. Joseph Hospital sent approximately 16,000 letters to patients informing them that a computer stolen in a burglary earlier this year may have contained some of their medical records and Social Security numbers. According to the hospital letters, the only patient files affected, to their…
New Linux HIPAA Software by Ecora
A Linux news site is reporting: Ecora has released Enterprise Auditor version 3.6 that includes its new HIPAA Report Pack, a collection of more than 150 pre-built report definitions that address the technical and administrative safeguards of the HIPAA security standard. “The manual process of preparing for a HIPAA security audit is time consuming, resource…
The Safe ID Act
Looks like Senator Clinton and Congressman Markey have introduced federal legislation to prevent offshore outsourcing of personal data: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Representative Edward J. Markey announced that they would introduce the Safeguarding Americans from Exporting Identification Data (SAFE ID) Act in the United States Senate and House today, legislation that would protect the…
HIPAA Deadline Passes with Little Fanfare
Well, the deadline to complete the security requirements of HIPAA passed yesterday with little fanfare. Internet News has the scoop “Considering everything that is involved with compliance, there are a lot of factors as to why some companies may not have completed it,” Earl Crane, a senior consultant with Foundstone Professional Services, said. Foundstone, a…
HIV Victim’s Suit Against Newspaper Continues
The Houston Chronicle is reporting: DALLAS — A state district court judge rejected a bid by an alternative weekly newspaper to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a church volunteer who said the paper reported without his permission that he was HIV-positive. The ruling Wednesday could clear the way for a trial. The judge did not…
More HIPAA Violations & Private Data Theft News
Techweb reports: Enforcement of the security regulations–like earlier HIPAA rules for privacy–will be complaint-driven, he says. Since the HIPAA privacy regulations, which identify what personal health information needs to be protected, took effect two years ago this month, there have been nearly 11,000 complaints filed to the federal government by patients and others. As of…
Doctors and Email
From the Chicago Tribune: “Despite advancing technology, medical practices have proven remarkably resistant to embracing e-mail as a tool to correspond with patients.” Jeff of the other HIPAA Blog says: It makes some sense, since doctors may be slightly more resistant than other professionals to any change from the way they’ve done things in the…