Morning Headlines 1/18/13
New rule protects patient privacy, secures health information
HHS announces modifications to HIPAA that substantially expand privacy, security, enforcement, and HITECH breach notification rules. The final rule is effective March 26, 2013 and is expected to require an initial economic cost of $114 million to $225 million.
Department of Veterans Affairs Selects HP to Help Improve Operations, Healthcare Services
HP wins a 5-year, $543 million contract to implement RTLS across 152 VA medical center.
Hospital Board Discusses Grade Change By the Leapfrog Group
The Leapfrog Group has retracted the "F" grade it gave 25-bed Texas County Memorial Hospital after an investigation found that the research methodology used was questionable and relied on inaccurate data sources.
Researchers at Columbia University find that using a data repository to conduct outcomes research significantly enhances overall workflow efficiency.
January 18th, 2013 at 12:43 pm
Huge liability possible for unwary vendors. The final rule clarifies that it doesn’t matter what the contract says or what the vendor considers itself to be. If the vendor is acting like a business associate, it is a business associate, and the government can go after it for privacy and security problems.