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n the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned, online privacy is on everyone’s minds. But according to privacy experts, the entire way we think about and understand what ‘privacy’ actually means… is wrong. In this new Think Again, NBC News Correspondent Andrew Stern dives deep into digital privacy what it really means, how we got to this point, how it impacts every facet of our lives, and how little of it we actually have.

HITAC held a hearing in March to explore equity considerations in health IT featuring expert panelists from the fields of health equity, health IT, and health data exchange.

According to the results of an inspection released this month by the VAs Office of Inspector General, more than 11,000 requests for clinical orders in the new Oracle-Cerner EHR at one medical center ended up in a digital no-mans land called the unknown queue. Those overlooked orders resulted in 149 cases of patient harm two that were especially severe. In one case, the system obscured a referral for follow-up psychiatric care for a patient at risk of suicide. Without receiving the intended care, the patient ended up hospitalized after reporting a plan for self-harm to a crisis line.

And while there are strict regulations for how that data can be used, consumers can reasonably ask what happens if a company like Amazon were to break the rules.

EHR technologies that unify seamlessly with practice management and patient engagement tools allow clinicians to deliver high-quality care consistently. When technologies are leveraged to encourage and maintain patient involvement in their own care, it’s evident in their outcomes as patients progress toward treatment goals, particularly when related to lifestyle changes and medication management.Health IT leaders must continue to invest in technologies that guide effective chronic disease management. While today’s chronic care patients are better off than those in decades past, engaged patients of the future will reap further benefits of smarter, well-integrated technologies

To meet the Attestations Condition of Certification, Certified Health IT Developers are required to provide the Secretary of Health and Human Services an attestation of compliance with each of the specified Conditions and Maintenance of Certification requirements (i.e., Information Blocking, Assurances, Communications, Application Programming Interfaces, and Real World Testing) twice a year.April 1, 2022, marked the opening of the first 30-day attestation window. During this period, Certified Health IT Developers submitted their attestations to ONC-Authorized Certification Bodies (ONC-ACBs) using ONCs Certified Health IT Product List (CHPL) site. Leading up to the submission window, ONC collaborated with ONC-ACBs and the developer community to register accounts on the CHPL and update Certification Program resources, like our Attestations Fact Sheet and Certification Companion Guides (CCGs). We thank our industry partners for their commitment to reviewing the Certification Program requirements and providing timely attestations.

In a new ruling by Judge James N. O’Hara, out of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois establishes that patients may obtain their full electronic medical records. This includes all audit trails, revision history, In Basket Messages, HAIKU photos and videos, and Sticky Notes. This policy change is a huge success for parental rights and it will help to ensure that child abuse investigations are rooted in honest and ethical practices.

No doubt those of you in the world of health IT and interoperability saw the news that Epic plans to apply to join TEFCA as an inaugural QHIN (Qualified Health Information Network). This is big news for TEFCA since its largely a voluntary effort that isnt pushed by some sort of stimulus money or penalties like many past government efforts.We wanted to learn about Epics decision to apply to be a QHIN, so we sat down with Matt Doyle, Software Development Lead for Interoperability at Epic, to talk about this announcement. He shared Epics view on TEFCA, why they plan to apply to be a QHIN, and the decision to get behind TEFCA. Plus, we ask him how the data differs between Epics 3 main healthcare interoperability efforts: CareEverywhere, Carequality, and now TEFCA.

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) administers and enforces the Privacy Rule, which establishes requirements with respect to the use, disclosure, and protection of PHI by covered entities (health plans, health care clearinghouses, and most health care providers)4 and, to some extent, by their business associates.5 These regulated entities can use or disclose PHI, without an individuals signed authorization,6 only as expressly permitted or required by the Privacy Rule.7 ,8The Privacy Rule permissions for disclosing PHI without an individuals authorization for purposes not related to health care, such as disclosures to law enforcement officials, are narrowly tailored to protect the individuals privacy and support their access to health services. This guidance addresses these types of permitted disclosures and their limitations.

The HIPAA Rules generally do not protect the privacy or security of your health information when it is accessed through or stored on your personal cell phones or tablets. The HIPAA Rules apply only when PHI is created, received, maintained, or transmitted by covered entities and business associates. For example, the HIPAA Rules do not protect the privacy of your Internet search history, information you voluntarily share online, or your geographic location information. In most cases, unless the app is provided to you by a covered entity or its business associate - PDF, the HIPAA Rules also do not protect the privacy of data youve downloaded or entered into mobile apps for your personal use, regardless of where the information came from.The information that your device or apps collect about you may be viewed or collected by other entities or used by the device or app vendors to send you specific ads. It may also be sold to a data broker, someone who obtains and shares consumer information without their knowledge, often selling it for marketing or other purposes. Although the HIPAA Rules do not protect this information, there are steps that you can take to increase the privacy of your information when using your personal mobile device.