Strengthening human health privacy for patients

Strengthening human health privacy for patients -

Recently, the US Department of health and Human Services (HHS) issued new privacy rules that will improve patients' rights over their health information and how information is processed in the future. as more hospitals and health care providers adopt electronic health records (EHR) and the reform of health care working to expand the use of EHRs, HHS has established new rules for protecting patient health information

According to Fierce HealthCare new patient protection rules :.

• Increase patients' rights to access personal health information and to restrict certain types of disclosure of health information to health insurance schemes
• Set new restrictions on the use and disclosure of protected health information for marketing and fundraising
• prohibiting sale of protected health information without authorization from a patient and
• Require business associates of HIPAA covered entities to follow the same rules.

David Blumenthal, HHS coordinator for health information technology said: "Giving more Americans the ability to access their health information where, when, and under any form is a vital first step towards improving our health care system. Empowering Americans with real-time and secure access to the information they need to live healthier lives is paramount. "

At this time, the Obama administration aims to provide all Americans with an electronic health record by 2014. Health care reform is working to extend the EHR by providing grants and awards to health care providers using the new paperless systems.

However, there is still privacy concerns that some health care providers have had problems keeping the safe and secure medical information, what needs to change in the next two years.

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