ONC Issues New Privacy And Security Guide For Electronic Health

The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) has just issued a new Guide to Privacy and Security of Electronic Health Information to help everyone that deals with electronic health information better incorporate federal health information privacy and security requirements into their organization.

The Guide is broadly applicable to anyone that is a HIPAA Covered Entity or Business Associate as well as Medicare Eligible Professionals under the CMS Electronic Health Record (EHR) Incentive Programs (the "Meaningful Use" program).

The Guide includes helpful summaries of the HIPAA Privacy, Security and Breach Notification Rules, and provides answers to common questions about patient information, disclosures, authorizations, patient rights, de-identified information, and the interaction of HIPAA with state law. In addition, it also addresses Meaningful Use programs and the staged requirements and incentives related to meeting these