Groups give Obama high grade for medical privacy

ARRA did include some significant items on Privacy, but really simply closed some gaps around the edges. I am less impressed with what was in ARRA vs the interest that HHS/ONC has toward working with industry and privacy advocates. HITSP is at the center of this development and I hope will result in a real ‘harmonization’ effort.

A coalition of privacy groups gave the Obama administration a grade of A- for progress in medical privacy because of provisions in the stimulus law strengthening safeguards over personal health information. “The privacy language makes the bill one of the best privacy laws in years,” said Lillie Coney, associate director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)  and coordinator for the Privacy Coalition. More