Privacy and Security and Health Information Technology (health IT)

Electronic health information exchange promises an array of potential benefits for individuals and the U.S. health care system through improved clinical care and reduced cost. At the same time, this environment also poses new challenges and opportunities for protecting individually identifiable health information. In health care, accurate and complete information about individuals is critical to providing high quality, coordinated care. If individuals and other participants in a network lack trust in electronic exchange of information due to perceived or actual risks to individually identifiable health information or the accuracy and completeness of such information, it may affect their willingness to disclose necessary health information and could have life-threatening consequences. Coordinated attention at the Federal and State levels is needed both to develop and implement appropriate privacy and security policies. Only by engaging all stakeholders, particularly consumers, can health information be protected and electronically exchanged in a manner that respects variations in individuals’ views on privacy and access.

The tabs above or the links below will provide you with access to a number of health IT resources related to privacy and security.

• The Nationwide Privacy and Security Framework for Electronic Exchange of Individually Identifiable Health Information
• Health IT and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules
• State-level Privacy and Security Resources
• Draft Model Personal Health Record (PHR) Privacy Notice & Facts-At-A-Glance (the "Leavitt Label")
• Medical Identity Theft
• Federal Laws and Regulations
• Secretary Leavitt announces Privacy and Security Framework and Toolkit