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From the ONC Desk Protecting Privacy of Health Information and Building Trust as Mobile and Online Health Evolve
Lygeia Ricciardi | March 15, 2012
The health care system is going digital at a fast clip. In the last two years, the number of hospitals using electronic health records has more than doubled to 35%—and the majority of remaining hospitals say they have near-term plans to do so. While patient or consumer use of digital tools for health, such as patient portals and personal health records (PHRs), generally lag behind, it is catching up, especially when you also consider the use of “non-traditional” tools,
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Privacy and Security Mobile Device Privacy and Security Good Practices for Health Information
Joy Pritts | March 15, 2012
Recent surveys and research show that the health care sector is rapidly adopting mobile technology, and it’s only expected to have more significant uptake in the future. This isn’t surprising. Laptops, tablets, and smart phones are fast and convenient means of communicating all sorts of data including health information.
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From the ONC Desk Health Information Security Viewpoint from HIMSS 2012: We’re in This Together
Joy Pritts | March 14, 2012
Patient privacy is everyone’s responsibility, and we all play a role in maintaining health information security. Those were the key takeaways from the Office of the Chief Privacy Officer’s (OCPO) Education Session on Privacy and Security. We interviewed Amy Wang, the Director of Information Services & Operational Effectiveness and the Information Security Officer, part of the Henry Ford Health System, to see how one hospital has been able to create a culture of privacy and security.
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From the ONC Desk Leading, Listening, and Learning at HIMSS 2012
Nora Super | March 14, 2012
From February 20 through 24, 2012, a contingent of staff members of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) set off for Las Vegas to take part in the Health Information and Management Systems Society’s (HIMSS) 2012 annual conference. This year’s meeting was the largest health IT conference ever, bringing together more than 37,000 participants from all over the world.
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Beacon Communities Southeast Michigan Beacon Community: Helping Patients with Diabetes Management
Terrisca des Jardins | March 9, 2012
The numbers are staggering.
Treating diabetes in Michigan costs more than $8 billion annually, according to the 2010 report “The Economic Burden of Diabetes,” and affects approximately 93,000 individuals in the state’s underserved southeast region, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Behavior Risk Factor Survey 2008 Age Adjusted Estimates. Most of these patients lack access to a range of resources needed for effective diabetes management, including financial resources, dietary guidance, and public fitness facilities.