Bits & Pieces
Here are a few items of information from the past week I thought you might be interested in.
1. Transcription Service Provider Runs Afoul of the VA
From a Department of Veterans Affairs press release: During a routine internal inspection, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) discovered a contractor providing medical transcription services who was not following the Department's rules for protecting medical information.
Although there is no evidence that any patient information was disclosed as a result of the violation, VA has suspended the contractor from receiving any sensitive information from the Department until the contractor guarantees compliance with VA's standards for information technology (IT) security.
"VA insists that contractors, as well as our own personnel, adhere to the highest standards for protecting personal information," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "When we detect a problem, as happened in this case, we will quickly fix it, and we will ensure such problems are not happening elsewhere."
The issue involves a contractor whose employees create written transcripts of recordings made by health care professionals while performing physical examinations, reporting on surgeries, and taking patients' histories. VA officials found the contractor's employees used computers that do not adhere to government policy on security.
Based on this incident, the Secretary has launched an intensive examination of all VA's contracts to ensure all contractors properly safeguard information about VA patients, Veterans and employees.
2. New PHR Requirements in Stimulus Bill
Health Data Management is reporting that the economic stimulus bill will impose new consumer protection requirements on vendors of personal health records.
The vendors must notify affected individuals following the discovery of a breach of unsecured identifiable health information in PHRs. Vendors also must notify the Federal Trade Commission.
Further, a third-party service provider that provides services to a PHR vendor or covered entities that offer PHRs must notify affected vendors or entities of a breach. "Such notice shall include the identification of each individual whose unsecured PHR identifiable health information has been, or is reasonably believed to have been, accessed, acquired or disclosed during such breach," according to the legislation.
The FTC shall treat violations as unfair and deceptive acts or practices under the Federal Trade Commission Act. The legislation requires the FTC to publish interim final regulations within 180 days of enactment.
The requirements will remain in effect unless Congress enacts new legislation governing PHR breach notifications.
3. Medpedia Opens Public Health Care Technology Platform
TechCrunch is reporting that Medpedia has unveiled a public version of its technology platform for the worldwide health community. Combining social networking with Web 2.0 health information, Medpedia's website offers consumers a Wikipedia for health information, a LinkedIn network for health professionals, and a Facebook-like platform where consumers and experts can have a medical dialogue about treatment and conditions.
Medpedia has developed partnerships with Harvard Medical School, Stanford School of Medicine, Berkeley School of Public Health, University of Michigan Medical School and other health organizations to help bring content and medical networks to the site. Many of the health institutions are offering the content free of copyright restrictions. Already, 25 medical and government institutions in both the U.S. and the U.K. have signed on to Medpedia to use its professional network.
4. U.S. Army Adopting Dragon Speech Recognition
According to FierceHealthIT, the U.S. Army Medical Department is adopting speech recognition technology in a big way as part of an effort to boost its clinicians' satisfaction with the military's electronic medical record system. The new system will allow physicians to speak their notes into the EMR at the patient's bedside, rather than enter them later when their memories aren't as fresh.
The Army is rolling out Dragon Medical speech recognition software to 90,000 clinicians worldwide. It's taking this step as part of a larger program, run by the U.S. Army Surgeon General, designed to help improve providers' experience with AHLTA, the military's EMR. The program, MEDCOM AHLTA Provider Satisfaction, has already invested in touch-screen laptop computers and wireless networks.