Congress says HHS has to step up efforts to secure nation’s medical records

The Government Accountability Office, responding to an inquiry by Congress, made it “official” this week: HHS has failed to protect the privacy and security of electronic patient records from hackers, data thieves and voyeurs.

Privacy and security gurus praised the GAO for taking an unflinching look at the dual role HHS plays as both a promoter of health information technology use and the primary enforcer of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the federal privacy, security and breach notification law.

The report, experts say, should come as one more warning to the healthcare industry to better protect sensitive patient information before Congress, the courts or their own patients take action.

“The findings are just what I’ve been saying for the last 14 years. HIPAA was just terribly implemented,” said privacy lawyer Jim Pyles, a partner in Potter Pyles Sutter & Verville in Washington. He added that hospitals and practitioners adopted IT systems that “everyone knew couldn’t be made secure.” For the full article click here 

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