In today’s post, we’ll continue the analysis of Obama’s guarantees of online privacy rights to American citizens.\u00a0 Specifically, we will discuss the commitment to protect sensitive online health data that will be increasingly important as the President-elect attempts to reform the health care system.<\/p>\n
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Privacy Issues:\u00a0 Electronic Health Records<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The digitization of health records is an key part of President-elect Obama’s health care plan, as it will help to reduce costs while minimizing errors and improving the standard of care in the U.S.\u00a0 However, this idea comes with many new risks of its own:\u00a0 Not only can online\/electronic records leave patients susceptible to general abuse, misuse, or theft of their data, but it also specifically could allow for discrimination in insurance or care.\u00a0 Thus, it is important that the Obama administration acts proactively to safeguard such important information.<\/p>\n Luckily, the transition has already yielded positive results for the privacy of medical records.\u00a0 On December 15, the Department of Health and Human Services released a document entitled “Nationwide Privacy and Security Framework For Electronic Exchange of Individually Identifiable Health Information<\/a>,” providing guidelines for the protection of electronic records.\u00a0 The document includes 8 key principles for the usage of these documents:<\/p>\n Additionally, the Department released other documents applying the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act<\/a>\u00a0(HIPAA) to the future of electronic records.\u00a0 While many software companies<\/a>\u00a0have argued that this act is sufficient to protect the privacy of health records, many other individuals are still concerned that it doesn’t go far enough and should be reformed to take into account the rapid changes occurring in technology.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Recommendations<\/span><\/strong><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This concern of privacy advocates is legitimate, and the Obama administration should address it before moving forward with the President-elect’s plans to use electronic health care records.\u00a0 A few issues regarding HIPAA are of particular concern. \u00a0<\/p>\n First, the Act allows the disclosure of private health data\u2014<\/span>without consent\u2014<\/span>for “treatment, payment, or health-care operations.”\u00a0 This is done without notifying the patient in any way, and should be changed so that individuals have greater control over how their personal information is used.\u00a0 President-elect Obama has begun to address this issue through the “Individual Choice” principle, but should continue to do so by reforming the HIPAA. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n