Mary Mosquera
Roger Baker, CIO of the Department of Veterans Affairs, believes he has the technical solution that will turn around many of the information security problems that have plagued VA for years and will help ensure the department does a better job of protecting its network and sensitive data.
A Health and Human Services Department panel will debut next month to advise the National Health IT Coordinator David Blumenthal, MD, on the best way to determine the eligibility of applicants for a range of state and federal programs, including insurance plans set up under the new health reform law.
The Department of Veterans Affairs will step up enforcement of its contractors to ensure they meet information security requirements for protecting veterans' personal health data.
The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to develop a kiosk-based system for its mental health clinics that would allow patients who have limited computer literacy or cognitive disabilities to conduct self-assessments of their conditions.
The Department of Health and Human Services will conduct two surveys to find out more about patient perceptions and preferences for the use of healthcare information technology.
The White House has begun developing a strategy for securing online transactions and stemming identity fraud that pays particular heed to the importance of building a trusted arena for electronic healthcare transactions.
A Department of Health and Human Services workgroup is wrestling with questions of whether existing laws are strong enough to protect the privacy of patient information conveyed using NHIN Direct, a set of specifications for helping healthcare organizations swap data electronically.
A pending Drug Enforcement Agency rule permitting the electronic prescribing of controlled substances is expected to give healthcare providers added incentives to adopt health IT systems once the rule goes into effect on June 1.
David Blumenthal, MD the national health IT coordinator, has asked his advisers to turn to one of the most vexing problems on the health reform horizon: streamlining federal and state systems for enrolling people applying for health insurance benefits under the law.
As called for under the HITECH Act, the Health & Human Services Department plans to release in May a proposed rule that strengthens existing privacy, security and enforcement requirements for organizations that handle patients’ health information.