Powers principal and co-founder Jim Pyles was recently interviewed as an expert on health information privacy law and asked to describe the current issues with HIPAA and how they might be addressed.
The following are excerpts from that article entitled “HIPAA Value Questioned as Industry Sees Widespread Use of EHRs”, Washington Internet Daily (March 16, 2015):
Concerns regarding use of EHRs have increased even though data breaches affecting those in the health industry are occurring on an epidemic scale, said James Pyles, principal at Powers Pyles, who specializes in health information technology and health information privacy. EHRs often include information contained in paper medical records such as contact information for family members and healthcare providers, as well as diagnoses, medications, immunization dates, allergies, lab and test results, and family medical history.
Federal legislation, such as a patients’ health privacy bill of rights, is needed, where the needs of consumers and patients are put first, Pyles said. HIPAA is so complex, regulated entities have no idea what they are supposed to do, he said. And HIPAA doesn’t apply to hackers, he said: Privacy laws should protect the information and whoever handles it.