HIMSS Research: Healthcare Affiliates Unprepared For Data Breaches;
Patient privacy at risk from provider business associates
Information Week ‘s Mitch Wagner reported November 17, 2009 “About a third of business associates were not aware they needed to comply with security and privacy provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). By comparison, 87% of health providers are aware.”
Release from HIMSS Analytics on November 17, 2009: “68 Percent of Provider Respondents Indicated that the HITECH Act’s Expanded Breach Notification Requirements will Result in More Discovery and Reporting of Incidents.” “Business associates could represent a risk to healthcare organizations, especially hospitals,” said Lisa Gallagher, BSEE, CISM, CPHIMS, Senior Director, Privacy and Security, HIMSS.  “The lack of awareness of new federal regulations by business associates coupled with the large number of third parties hired by hospitals to control costs through outsourcing, points to a potential area of concern. Hospitals, in partnership with their business associates, need to actively prepare to comply with the new rules when these breaches happen.”

2009 HIMSS Analytics Report: Evaluating
HITECH’s Impact on Healthcare Privacy and Security (pdf)
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