Privacy & Security Resources
Connecting for Health is a public-private collaborative with representatives from more than 100 organizations across the spectrum of health care stakeholders. Its purpose is to catalyze the widespread changes needed to realize the full benefits of Health Information Technology (HIT), while protecting patient privacy and the security of personal health information. Connecting for Health is continuing to tackle the key challenges to creating a networked health information environment that enables secure and private information sharing when and where it's needed to improve health and health care.
RTI International is one of the world's leading research institutes, dedicated to improving the human condition by turning knowledge into practice.
With projects in more than 40 countries and a staff of more than 2,600, RTI offers innovative research and technical solutions to governments and businesses worldwide in the areas of health and pharmaceuticals, education and training, surveys and statistics, advanced technology, democratic governance, economic and social development, energy, and the environment.
AHRQ - Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is the lead Federal agency charged with improving the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans. As one of 12 agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services, AHRQ supports health services research that will improve the quality of health care and promote evidence-based decision making.
HIMSS - Healthcare information and Management Systems Society
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) is the healthcare industry's membership organization exclusively focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of healthcare information technology and management systems for the betterment of healthcare. Founded in 1961 with offices in Chicago, Washington D.C., Brussels, and other locations across the United States and Europe, HIMSS represents more than 20,000 individual members and over 300 corporate members that collectively represent organizations employing millions of people. HIMSS frames and leads healthcare public policy and industry practices through its advocacy, educational and professional development initiatives designed to promote information and management systems' contributions to ensuring quality patient care.
HIMSS Privacy & Security Toolkit
The HIMSS Privacy & Security Toolkit offers information on a variety of topics, including discussion of privacy and security principles, legal issues, policies and practices.
HIMSS Application Security Questionnaire (ASQ)
The HIMSS IT Systems Security Work Group has developed the ASQ, a self-assessment tool for vendors to complete that will allow health care provider organizations or other product purchasers to assess the core security controls inherent in an application or system that will process or store electronic PHI. This questionnaire covers access management, passwords, audit capabilities, security of remote access, protection from malicious code, change control, Privacy and Security Solutions for Interoperable Health Information Exchange.
HITSP- Health Information Technology Standards Panel
Currently, HITSP is charged by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) to harmonize standards based on use cases derived from America's Health Information Community (AHIC) requirements and priorities. Implicitly and in some cases explicitly, each individual use case requires a secure infrastructure and certain security or privacy functions. Based upon prioritization by AHIC and ONC, HITSP, in its second year, is identifying and constraining the standards needed for standards-based security and privacy frameworks that provide the mechanisms needed to protect patient privacy and maintain confidentiality, integrity and availability (which are governed by policy). Standards-based security and privacy frameworks will support federal, state, local, and healthcare enterprise security and privacy policies and processes.
AHIMA- American Health Information Management Association
AHIMA is the premier association of health information management (HIM) professionals. AHIMA's 51,000 members are dedicated to the effective management of personal health information needed to deliver quality healthcare to the public. Founded in 1928 to improve the quality of medical records, AHIMA is committed to advancing the HIM profession in an increasingly electronic and global environment through leadership in advocacy, education, certification, and lifelong learning.
Additional Resources
Federal Government's HIT Privacy and Security
American Health Information Community's Confidentiality, Security and Privacy Workgroup
Federal Government's HIPAA/Medical Privacy
