scholarly journals Privacy and Security in Multi-User Health Kiosks

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-14
Author(s):  
Harold Takyi ◽  
Valerie Watzlaf ◽  
Judith Talbot Matthews ◽  
Leming Zhou ◽  
Dilhari DeAlmeida
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Civil Rights ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Health Technology ◽  
Privacy And Security ◽  
Market Making ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Office For Civil Rights

Enforcement of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) has gotten stricter and penalties have become more severe in response to a significant increase in computer-related information breaches in recent years. With health information said to be worth twice as much as other forms of information on the underground market, making preservation of privacy and security an integral part of health technology development, rather than an afterthought, not only mitigates risks but also helps to ensure HIPAA and HITECH compliance. This paper provides a guide, based on the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) audit protocol, for creating and maintaining an audit checklist for multi-user health kiosks. Implementation of selected audit elements for a multi-user health kiosk designed for use by community-residing older adults illustrates how the guide can be applied. 

scholarly journals Data privacy considerations for telehealth consumers amid COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Bassan
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Civil Rights ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Data Privacy ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Professional Judgment ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Privacy And Security ◽  
Office For Civil Rights

Abstract The COVID-19 emergency poses particularly high infection risks in a clinical setting, where patients and health care providers are placed in the same room. Due to these risks, patients are encouraged to avoid clinics and instead use Telemedicine for safer consultations and diagnoses. In March, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department for Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a notice titled Notification of Enforcement Discretion for Telehealth Remote Communications During the COVID-19 Nationwide Public Health Emergency (the ‘Notification’). The Notification relaxes the enforcement of privacy and security safeguards established by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) until further notice, in order to facilitate the transition to telehealth services for the broader purpose of promoting public health during the pandemic. Specifically, covered healthcare providers can use telehealth to provide all services that, in their professional judgment, they believe can be provided through telehealth. If providers make good faith efforts to provide the most timely and accessible care possible, they will not be subject to penalties for breaching the HIPAA Privacy, Security, and Breach Notification Rules. This paper examines the implications of the Notification on patients’ health information privacy. It recommends that patients should undertake a careful reading of provider privacy policies to make sure their protected health information (PHI) is not at risk before switching to telehealth consultation. Acknowledging the limitations of patient self-protection from bad privacy practices when in need for medical treatment during pandemic, the paper proposes that consumers’ data privacy should be protected through one of two alternative regulatory interventions: the FTC’s authority under §5, or HIPAA’s business associates agreements.

Maturing an Information Technology Privacy Program

2020 ◽  
pp. 125-143
Author(s):  
Mike Gregory ◽  
Cynthia Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Health Insurance ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Maturity Model ◽  
Protected Health Information ◽  
Healthcare Organizations ◽  
Privacy And Security ◽  
Security Standards ◽  
Financial Transactions ◽  
Administrative Simplification

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was initially enacted as an administrative simplification to standardize electronic transmission of common administrative and financial transactions. The program also calls for implementation specifications regarding privacy and security standards to protect the confidentiality and integrity of individually identifiable health information or protected health information. The Affordable Care Act further expanded many of the protective provisions set forth by HIPAA. Since its implementation, healthcare organizations around the nation have invested billions of dollars and have cycled through numerous program attempts aimed at meeting these standards. This chapter reviews the process taken by one organization to review the privacy policy in place utilizing a maturity model, identify deficiencies, and lead change in order to heighten the maturity of the system. The authors conclude with reflection related to effectiveness of the process as well as implications for practice.

Mobile health intervention and COVID-19 pandemic outbreak: insights from Indian context

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajesh R. Pai ◽  
Sreejith Alathur
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Health Information Technology ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Health Technology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Indian Context

PurposeThis paper discusses the need for government and healthcare organization to implement mobile phone-based solutions for healthcare during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. It also highlights the challenges and/or barriers to the rapid introduction, implementation and management of these and other innovative solutions to health service delivery during the current situationDesign/methodology/approachThe data include both qualitative and quantitative, collected from the primary interview-based case study and questionnaire survey. It also uses insights from the general populations, healthcare professionals and health information technology developers to understand the role of a mobile health intervention in the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak.FindingsHealthcare professionals and health information technology developers are confident that the use of mobile health technology and applications has the ability to assist in monitoring and controlling the COVID-19 outbreak. The key advantages of using mobile phone technology are: increased awareness, improved assistance in tracking and testing casualties, improved assistance in seeking and scheduling health information and medical appointments, increased social distancing, improved overall productivity and quality of life. However, data demonstrated that lack of awareness and accessibility or unwillingness to use the technology, complex healthcare needs, application infrastructure, policies and a dearth of training and support are all barriers to successful implementation of this useful tool.Practical implicationsThis research has the potential to make a significant impact on government and healthcare policy through presenting a coherent argument for the importance of designing and deploying mobile health technology and applications for the general population.Originality/valueprior literature in this domain is inadequate in explaining the importance of mobile phone-based healthcare solutions for health service and during serious disease outbreaks and, in particular, within the Indian context. The findings of this study can be used by government and healthcare organizations to improve health governance during the current global pandemic.

Utilization of TETRA Networks for Health Information Transfer

2010 ◽  
pp. 30-38
Author(s):  
Konstantinos M. Siassiakos ◽  
Konstantinos Ioannou ◽  
Athina A. Lazakidou
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Transfer ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
Medical Data ◽  
Physiological Data ◽  
Privacy And Security ◽  
Remote Locations ◽  
Air Interface ◽  
New Type

Rapid advances in information technology and wireless communications are leading to the emergence of a new type of information infrastructure that has the potential of supporting an array of advanced services for healthcare. Today’s healthcare professionals need to be connected to the network always. Continuous connectivity is the watchword of these demanding users, who need to communicate over the network seamlessly and stay connected everywhere in emergency cases. TETRA technology provides several ways of protecting the privacy and security of communication, such as authentication, air interface encryption and end-to-end encryption. Using a TETRA network can benefit not only ambulance crews, but also medical personnel at remote locations. Even though doctors are rarely present in ambulances, they can use the transmitted medical data to make a formal diagnosis, enabling treatment to be started and saving several critical minutes before arrival at the hospital. The objective of this chapter is to study how simply can a healthcare professional collect physiological data from mobile and/or remote patients and how securely and reliably health information can be transferred from emergency places to hospitals through a TETRA network.

Maturing an Information Technology Privacy Program

2021 ◽  
pp. 2008-2022
Author(s):  
Mike Gregory ◽  
Cynthia Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Health Insurance ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Maturity Model ◽  
Protected Health Information ◽  
Healthcare Organizations ◽  
Privacy And Security ◽  
Security Standards ◽  
Financial Transactions ◽  
Administrative Simplification

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) was initially enacted as an administrative simplification to standardize electronic transmission of common administrative and financial transactions. The program also calls for implementation specifications regarding privacy and security standards to protect the confidentiality and integrity of individually identifiable health information or protected health information. The Affordable Care Act further expanded many of the protective provisions set forth by HIPAA. Since its implementation, healthcare organizations around the nation have invested billions of dollars and have cycled through numerous program attempts aimed at meeting these standards. This chapter reviews the process taken by one organization to review the privacy policy in place utilizing a maturity model, identify deficiencies, and lead change in order to heighten the maturity of the system. The authors conclude with reflection related to effectiveness of the process as well as implications for practice.

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