HIPAA was introduced 10 years ago. In this special section, we look at the effects of the controversial legislation has had on the IT security industry.
Health care agencies have guidelines to protect critical private information. But are they? We take a look at where this business segment stands in safeguarding data.
Only one day had gone by in the new year when news of another compromise of personal information was disclosed.
This time the possible privacy breach reportedly involved the personal details of 128 patients at Evansville, Ind.-based Deaconess Hospital. A laptop computer went missing from the hospital in late November, which reportedly prompted officials to warn affected patients the first Tuesday of 2007.
According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, that particular January 2nd notification from Deaconess officials brought the tally of records involved in security breaches to 100,453,858. And among the victims comprising this number, masses of health care records are counted. This, despite the Congressional passage of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in 1996 and its Privacy and Security Rules having been in effect since early 2003.
To learn more about where the health care industry stands with information security and HIPAA compliance, we have talked to experts and industry players to get an update for our first special section devoted to a particular business segment. There will be a total of four of these vertical outlook sections this year, delving into how the health care, educational, government and financial services markets are tackling IT security problems and compliance demands.
Click on the links to view this special section's features:
Where are the penalties for failing to comply with HIPAA?
Providers fight internal threats with an eye on HIPAA
Duke University Health System's new identity management solution helps doctors and patients
