Today, the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’s (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) announced the launch of Phase 2 of its HIPAA Compliance Audit Program. (OCR’s announcement can be accessed at Audit Phase 2 Announcement and further information about Phase 2 can be accessed at Audit Phase 2 Information.) In this phase, OCR will […]
Health Information Security
HHS Issues HIPAA Security Rule Crosswalk with NIST Cybersecurity Framework
Last week, the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released a crosswalk between the requirements of the HIPAA Security Rule and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. The crosswalk – which was developed in conjunction with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the HHS Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT – maps each […]
European Data Protection Supervisor Releases Opinion on Mobile Health
The European Data Protection Supervisor (“EDPS”), Giovanni Buttarelli, has published an opinion on Mobile Health (“mHealth”); a rapidly evolving sector that stems from the convergence of healthcare and information communication technology. mHealth includes mobile applications designed to provide health-related services through smart devices by processing personal information about an individual’s health, well-being, and lifestyle. The […]
Paula Stannard Authors Bloomberg BNA Article on Business Associates HIPAA Compliance
Paula Stannard, one of the practice leaders of the firm’s HIPAA Privacy & Security Team authored, “Business Associates’ HIPAA Compliance: Should Covered Entities Be Concerned?” in Bloomberg BNA’s Health IT Law & Industry Report. The article discusses why HIPAA covered entities (or business associates) should be concerned about the ability of their business associates (or […]
Alston & Bird Health Care Advisory: HIPAA Audit Program Phase 2 Update
We have previously blogged about the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services HIPAA Audit Program, including the Audit Program pilot (November 30, 2011 and March 7, 2012), the release of the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) audit protocols (June 26, 2012), and the status of phase 2 of the Audit Program (February 26, 2014 […]