Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: June 2011

With its unprecedented funding to support the effective implementation of health IT and health information exchange (HIE), the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has given new urgency to the need for a national health identifier. Because no unique personal identifier has been establ....

Author: AHIMA

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: May 2011

The laws surrounding release of a deceased patient's records can lead to complex and frustrating situations in the HIM department. Just who has access rights depends on federal law, state law, and individual circumstances, illustrated by the two scenarios below.

Last summer the Office....

Author: Haas, Mark

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2011

Since 2007 Massachusetts General Hospital has been working toward a do-it-yourself model for records requests. Not only does the organization save time and money when patients fulfill their own requests, the model also aligns with the emerging philosophy of patient-centered care, wher....

Author: Rode, Dan

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: April 2011

Data stewardship is a hot topic. As this issue went to press, the Department of Health and Human Services was expected to publish a notice of proposed rulemaking on accounting of disclosures, an expansion of the HIPAA requirements mandated by the HITECH Act.

Rulemaking was also expe....

Author: Rollins, Genna

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: April 2011

Despite the rise of health IT, healthcare providers still face daily privacy and security risks of the mundane variety—paper records are misplaced, improperly disclosed, or released without confidential information redacted. No matter the opportunities and risks that technology bring....

Author: Dimick, Chris

Source: Journal of AHIMA - website

Publication Date: March 2011

Note: this article has been updated to reflect changes implemented through the HITECH Act.

Author: AHIMA

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: February 2011

With one year of breach reporting on the books this month, theft remains the most common cause of data breach in healthcare. Of the 217 large-scale breaches reported to the Department of Health and Human Services by mid-January 2011, 121 (56 percent) involved theft. Of those, 89 involved a lapt....

Author: AHIMA

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2011

This practice brief has been updated. See the latest version here. This version is made available for historical purposes only.

Author: Herrin, Barry S.; Jones, Frankie T

Source: Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: January 2011

In 2009 the average cost per incident of a data breach in the United States was $6.75 million.1 Mark Bregman, executive vice president and chief technology officer at Symantec Corporation, cited this statistic during his testimony before the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product....

Author: AHIMA

Source: AHIMA practice brief | Journal of AHIMA

Publication Date: November 2010

Editor's note: This update replaces the June 2004 practice brief "Homeland Security Act and HIM."
After the terrorist attacks in New York City, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC, on September 11, 2001, the United States Congress enacted the Patriot Act in 2001 and the Homeland Security Act....