"Privacy & Security" Posts

Portrait of Aja Brooks

The Real HIPAA: Quality Assessment/Quality Improvement and Population-Based Activities Examples

Aja Brooks | February 25, 2016

Welcome to the fourth and final blog post in our series on how HIPAA supports interoperability. In the previous installments, we provided practical examples and illustrations that show how Health Care Operations Permitted Uses and Disclosures apply to covered entities. In this post, we pick up where we left off and provide examples of how HIPAA supports exchange of electronic health information for Quality Assessment/Quality Improvement and Population-Based Activities.

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Portrait of Aja Brooks

The Real HIPAA: Care Coordination, Care Planning, and Case Management Examples

Aja Brooks | February 18, 2016

Welcome to the third blog post in our series. Blog #2 discussed how HIPAA supports interoperability, and discussed definitions of Treatment and Health Care Operations-functions for which HIPAA supports electronic exchange of health information. This blog post gives additional practical examples of exchange for Treatment and exchange for Health Care Operations. Let’s jump right in.

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Portrait of Aja Brooks

The Real HIPAA: Permitted Uses and Disclosures

Aja Brooks | February 11, 2016

Welcome to the second blog in our series on how HIPAA supports exchange of electronic health information for patient care and health. This blog post summarizes the new ONC fact sheets on HIPAA Permitted Uses and Disclosures for exchange (Treatment and Health Care Operations), developed in conjunction with the Office for Civil Rights. This installment answers the questions: What are HIPAA Permitted Uses and Disclosures?

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Portrait of Aja Brooks

The Real HIPAA Supports Interoperability

Aja Brooks | February 4, 2016

At ONC, we hear all of the time that the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) makes it difficult, if not impossible, to move electronic health data when and where it is needed for patient care and health. This is a misconception, but unfortunately one that is widespread. This blog series and accompanying fact sheets aim to correct this misunderstanding so that health information is more often available when and where it is needed.   

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Portrait of Lucia Savage

Practical Information From HHS About Privacy, Security and Health IT: ONC’s Guide to Privacy and Security of Electronic Health Information

Lucia Savage | April 13, 2015

In the draft Interoperability Roadmap, ONC committed to helping individuals, providers, and the health and health IT community better understand how existing federal law — the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) — supports interoperable exchange of information for health. Today, we take a first step to fulfill that commitment and published the revised Guide to Privacy and Security of Electronic Health Information.

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