No Encyption Leads To Second Largest Healthcare Data Breach
The recent theft of four unencrypted desktop computers from a Chicago area physician group practice may result in the second biggest healthcare breach ever reported to federal regulators. But the bigger issue is: Why do breaches involving unencrypted computer devices still occur?
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Best Practices For Healthcare Organizations To Be HIPAA Audit Ready
Keeping risk assessment documentation and other compliance evidence in a centralized repository is a good way to prepare for any HIPAA audit or investigation, says Mark Dill, Cleveland Clinic’s security leader.
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New Study Finds Health IT Improves Patient Outcomes
A new report issued Thursday by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has found that certain health IT products, including those that provide decision support, clinical workflow support and care coordination can lead to better healthcare outcomes.
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Healthcare Is Moving To The Cloud
The healthcare industry is gradually overcoming its fears and is—finally—about to get high on the cloud.
The array of technologies commonly known as cloud computing are coming into their own in healthcare as a secure, capable and cost-effective means to provision computer hardware, and software and services, despite persistent and still lingering concerns about privacy, security and reliability.
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Hybrid Cloud Infrastructures Offers Attractive Options For Healthcare
Many healthcare companies are using a range of infrastructure services to meet their changing IT needs. This usually begins with storing data in an in-house data center then moving to collocation in an outsourced data center. This then may lead to a managed service; and later move to a cloud – such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) platform – and eventually to a hybrid cloud.
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Perspectives On Cloud Computing And HIPAA Compliance In Healthcare
There is a fair amount of uncertainty about adopting cloud services in healthcare, especially around sensitive health data. While the federal government’s rules are complicated, we know for a fact there’s nothing inherently dangerous about the technology.
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HIMSS Makes The Case To Extend Stage 2 Meaningful Use
With an array of industry groups anxiously calling for a delay of meaningful use Stage 2, HIMSS has made the case for a more nuanced approach, asking federal officials to launch Stage 2 on schedule but extend year one of the attestation period.
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ICD-10 Transition – Cash Flow Is King
Healthcare providers may face disruptions in their payments even if they are on target to operate using ICD-10 codes on Oct. 1, 2014.
Since providers will, and indeed need, to be able to pay rent and staff salaries if the transition does not flow as smoothly as testing has indicated, experts advise having up to several months’ cash reserves or access to cash through a loan or line of credit to avoid potential headaches.
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CMS Reports EHR Incentive Payouts Climb
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Serives (CMS) has paid more than $9.3 billion in Medicare EHR Incentive Program payments between May 2011 and June 2013, according to the recent release of the latest program statistics.
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ONC Chief Pleased With Health IT Adoption Progress
National Coordinator for Health IT Farzad Mostashari, MD, told members of the Health IT Policy Committee on Tuesday, July 9th to remain steadfast, bask in the progress made over the past four years, but continue to “react and respond to the world as it is, while striving to make the world as it should be.”
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ONC Begins Work On E-Clinical Quality Measures Policy For MU Stage 3
Looking ahead several years to Meaningful Use Stage 3, the ONC Health IT Policy Committee is considering policies for e-clinical quality measures and the data intermediaries and standards to support them.
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