HHS has released a new bulletin today, HIPAA Privacy in Emergency Situations, that covers sharing and safeguarding patient information. The bulletin was inspired by recent confusion concerning the disclosure of information concerning patients treated for, or suspected of having, Ebola. You can download the bulletin on HHS’s site, here (pdf). I
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How many federal investigators are poring through your medical records?
Without your consent – or even your knowledge – your sensitive medical records may be in the hands of federal investigators if your provider is being investigated for fraud. As a recent example: Kevin Krause reports that federal investigators seized patient records from businesses owned by Larry Washington in Texas: Federal agents raided his business, Mind Spa,…
Trust Trumps Privacy In Battle For Patient Health Data
Dan Munro writes: There’s no shortage of advocates on behalf of the “free your health data” movement. The keywords, of course, are “ your,” “health data” and “free” (as in donating your health data for the global benefit of clinical research). The latest demand was an article that appeared last week in Wired ? You Should…
CA: Laptops reported stolen from Stanford Health Care in Palo Alto
A small item in the San Jose Mercury News Police Beat section that caught my eye today: LAPTOP LARCENY: Computer laptops were reported stolen at Stanford Health Care on Pasteur Drive in Palo Alto at about 1:30 p.m. Monday. Stanford Health Care did not respond to an email inquiry sent earlier today asking whether these…
Other breaches newly disclosed on HHS's public breach tool
Seven Counties Services, Inc. in Kentucky notified HHS that 727 clients were affected by an incident on February 26, 2014 involving paper records. The incident was coded as “Improper Disposal, Unauthorized Access/Disclosure.” There’s no statement on the non-profit’s website, and PHIprivacy.net has emailed them to request details. Southwest Virginia Physicians for Women in Virginia notified HHS…
There is a reasonable expectation of privacy in medical records; search warrant required – Ohio court
John Wesley Hall writes: There is a reasonable expectation of privacy in medical records under Ferguson supported by McNeely. While statute may waive doctor-patient privilege, it does not waive the reasonable expectation of privacy. State v. Little, 2014-Ohio-4871, 2014 Ohio App. LEXIS 4743 (3d Dist. November 3, 2014). Read excerpts from the court’s opinion on FourthAmendment.com.