We are all familiar with this phrase but what exactly is the “cloud”? “Cloud” is a buzzword used to describe a network of servers with different functions housed in difference places throughout the world.
Anthem Inc, the largest health insurance company in the nation, has agreed to settle litigation in what is said to be the largest settlement ever for a data breach.
Cybercrime continues to generate huge profits for criminals so it’s no secret that hackers are getting more sophisticated with their attacks. Ransomware is a malicious piece of software designed to block access to a computer system until payment is received.
The Electronic Health Record (EHR) has proven to provide more efficient access to patient information thus streamlining workflows and positively impacting patient care. The University provides employees with access to the EHR as a means to carry out the normal functions of their job.
Text messaging has become a major part of how we communicate. Texting is an essential and valuable means of communication, particularly among healthcare team members. One of the many benefits of messaging over mobile phone apps is that they facilitate rapid dissemination and interaction. But this ease of dissemination can cause real problems for physicians and hospitals if the information is disclosed improperly. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Joint Commission take the position that texting of orders is prohibited.
On April 30, 2018, a physician in Springfield, Massachusetts was convicted of a criminal HIPAA violation and obstructing a criminal health care investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ). The DOJ was investigating the pharmaceutical company Warner Chilcott for suspected healthcare fraud related to illegal marketing practices and for providing payments to physicians in return for higher prescription rates.
You may have noticed an influx of emails regarding privacy policies and terms of service updates. Companies everywhere are rushing to update their policies and be in compliant with the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) regulation. The GDPR is a new, European data privacy regulation that goes into effect May 25, 2018 and will be enforced internationally.
At UHealth, vendors and industry representatives play an important role in patient care, education and research. From the purchasing of devices to implementation in operating rooms, medical faculty and staff often interact with vendors and industry representatives at various levels. These interactions support UHealth but must be properly managed to maintain patient safety and the integrity of the Health System.
Imagine you are browsing the internet when all of the sudden a window pops up with an alarming message: “You’re machine is being compromised!” or “Your machine is engaged in illegal activity!” These windows are an attempt by cyber criminals to induce panic and steal your information. Find out how to avoid these cybercrimes and protect yourself.
System access is a privilege. As a University employee, you receive a Confidentiality and Acceptable Use Agreement and a HIPAA and Computer Usage Form.
Covered entities are required to enter into a contract with the business associate under the HIPAA regulation to ensure that they will appropriately safeguard protected health information.
Reviews of user access logs are required by the HIPAA regulations to protect the privacy of patient information and to detect any unauthorized access, use, or disclosure.
The Office of HIPAA Privacy & Security continues to provide live Privacy and Security training sessions for University faculty and staff.
The Office of HIPAA Privacy and Security, in collaboration with the IRB, CTSI, and UHealth, has established a “data broker” program.
The Office of HIPAA Privacy and Security conducts random unannounced walkthroughs of the various sites of service of the University of Miami Health System.
In late 2017, Equifax, one of the largest credit reporting agencies in the U.S., reported a massive data breach. On May 7, 2018, Equifax executives provided a statement to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that detailed the extent of consumer data that had been exposed. When all is said and done, this breach may cost Equifax upwards of $600 million, making it one of the most costly breaches in history.
The UHealth Privacy Office conducts random unannounced walkthroughs of various UHealth sites in order to review practices that safeguard protected health information (PHI). The Privacy Office would like to congratulate the following sites for having no current privacy deficiencies in 2018.
Patient photographs are used for a variety of reasons related to medical care. Patient photographs taken in a clinical setting become part of a patient’s designated record set as Protected Health Information (PHI) and thus should be treated with the same privacy, confidentiality and safeguards as any other part of the medical record.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights orders the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to pay $4,348,000 in civil penalties for HIPAA violations. This settlement, the fourth largest monetary settlement with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), was affirmed this summer by an administrative law judge from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
It’s that time of year again! School is in session and whether you are a student, parent, faculty or staff, it is important to follow some essential security tips and reminders. The new school year brings new opportunities for hackers, cyber criminals and identity thieves.
Mark your calendars! The University of Miami’s third annual Compliance and Ethics Week will take place November 5-9, 2018. Compliance fairs and seminars will be held across all three campuses and provide a unique opportunity for faculty and staff to engage and learn about the University’s various compliance and ethics initiatives.
On June 28, 2018, a former patient coordinator for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) was indicted by a federal grand jury on six counts for wrongfully obtaining and disclosing protected health information (PHI). The Federal Bureau of Investigation handled this case and brought it to indictment.
The UHealth Privacy Office conducts random unannounced walkthroughs of various UHealth sites in order to review practices that safeguard protected health information (PHI). The Privacy Office would like to congratulate the following sites for having no current privacy deficiencies.
Anthem Inc., a licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield and one of the largest health insurance companies in the nation, has agreed to pay the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Civil Rights (OCR) a record $16 million greatly surpassing the previous high of $5.55 million paid to OCR in 2016. What caused the largest U.S. health data breach in history? Cyber-attacks through spear phishing emails.
Email continues to be the most popular method for cyber-attacks. According to a study conducted by FireEye, one in 101 emails contains a malicious hacking attempt such as “phishing”. Phishing is a form of fraudulent solicitation in which an email is cleverly disguised to appear to be from trusted brands such as banks, credit card companies, online retailers or even one of your friends.
The UHealth Privacy Office conducts random unannounced walkthroughs of various UHealth sites in order to review practices that safeguard protected health information (PHI). The Privacy Office would like to congratulate the following sites for having no current privacy deficiencies.
The Privacy Office, in conjunction with UMIT, held its second annual Data Privacy Day on February 6. It was exciting to see the UM community come together to learn about the importance of privacy in our evolving world. One of the University’s distinguished faculty members, Dr. Mary Anne Franks, was the featured speaker and presented “Privacy at the Intersection,” a discussion of how privacy trends and the development of new technologies affect society’s most vulnerable populations.
As technology evolves, privacy and security continue to be a growing area of concern, and the risk of data breaches continues to increase. According to HIPAA Journal, 2018 has seen a total of 365 breaches by covered entities, totaling a massive $28.7 million in financial penalties, which is nearly a 50% increase from 2017.
Have you filed your taxes yet? Tax season is upon us, and you aren’t the only one preparing paperwork; criminals go into overdrive ready to steal your information. Criminals know how profitable it can be for them to file fake tax returns, and hence are constantly inventing new schemes to maliciously obtain your personal information. Protecting yourself from tax fraud and identity theft takes time and vigilance.
The UHealth Privacy Office conducts random unannounced walkthroughs of various UHealth sites in order to review practices that safeguard protected health information (PHI). The Privacy Office would like to congratulate the following sites for having no current privacy deficiencies. Thank you for your effort to protect patient privacy and reduce privacy related incidents!
With so much media attention on phishing attacks, why do so many health care entities still fall victim? The answer – human weakness. Phishing and related attacks are often aimed at health care employees due to their continued success. Phishing is a scam used by cyber criminals to lure individuals into sharing sensitive data, such as personally identifiable information (PII).
The HIPAA Privacy Rule states that covered entities must take certain steps to keep a person’s health information confidential and secure. Therefore, health care providers and staff frequently question whether they may disclose protected health information (PHI) to family members or other persons involved in the patient’s care.
You’ve received IRB approval to begin your research study and you are ready to start collecting and analyzing data. What’s your next step? The specific requirements to receive data derived from patient care at UHealth for research studies may vary based on the design of your study. If you anticipate direct contact with research subjects prior to requesting this data from UChart, requirements are generally based on whether patients have authorized such use of their medical record data).
The UHealth Privacy Office conducts random unannounced walkthroughs of various UHealth sites in order to review practices that safeguard protected health information (PHI). The Privacy Office would like to congratulate the following sites for having no current privacy deficiencies.
The UHealth Privacy Office conducts random unannounced walkthroughs of various UHealth sites in order to review practices that safeguard protected health information (PHI). The Privacy Office would like to congratulate the following sites for having no current privacy deficiencies.
The Data Broker Group within the UHealth Privacy Office is here to provide a variety of data services for the UHealth community at large to utilize. A main function of the Data Broker Group is to provide both a centralized and standardized review of clinical data requests, such as Patient Contact List requests.
According to a breach report released by Protenus, an IT data monitoring firm, 32 million patient records were compromised between January and June of 2019, which is more than double that of the 15 million patient records breached in the entire 2018 calendar year.
Social networks are among the most popular websites on the Internet. Facebook has over a billion users, and Instagram and Twitter have hundreds of millions of users each. Social networks were generally built on the idea of sharing posts, photographs, and personal information. However, the use of social media presents privacy and security risks especially in the health care industry.
Is privacy dead? No, not by a long shot, but our concept of privacy has changed. There was a time where we would not have “checked in” on social media or purchased a “smart” phone nor doorbell. However, those times have vanished. We now live in a world of the Internet of Things, where a “smart” version of any device is the norm and by transmitting many of our daily tasks and interactions online, we have created a detailed digital imprint of our lives.
Over the past few years, the health industry has seen a number of exciting advancements to medical device technology that have assisted in revolutionizing the quality of treatment to patients. However, when it comes to medical equipment and HIPAA compliance, how do we know if the data being collected is kept private and secure?
In our August 2019 newsletter, we have discussed the process for obtaining lists of patients that may be eligible to participate in research studies. The next step is to start the conversation with those patients. Generally, initial contact with an eligible patient must be made by someone with whom the potential research subject has had prior clinical contact.
The UHealth Privacy Office conducts random unannounced walkthroughs of various UHealth sites in order to review practices that safeguard protected health information (PHI). The Privacy Office would like to congratulate the following sites for having no current privacy deficiencies. Thank you for your effort to protect patient privacy and reduce privacy related incidents!
The Privacy Office, in conjunction with UMIT, held its third annual Data Privacy Day on January 30th. It was exciting to see the UM community come together to learn about the importance of privacy in our evolving world. Miami native Kate Black was the featured speaker and presented “The Privacy Frontier in the Age of Digital Surveillance”.
Last Fall, an Alabama based health system became the target of a ransomware attack that severely interrupted operations at three hospitals. The health system paid the hackers an undisclosed amount in order to obtain the decryption key. In early October, the FBI issued a warning concerning the “high-impact” these types of attacks can have on businesses and organizations. Ransomware attacks are becoming more sophisticated and hackers are demanding larger payouts.
The Data Broker Group is here to provide a variety of data services for the University community at large. A main function of the Data Broker Group is to provide both a centralized and standardized review of clinical data requests to ensure approved, authorized releases of such data. For research related requests typically require an IRB approved protocol. Alternatively, if the data is needed more to determine feasibility for a potential study, then such a request is described as “Reviews Preparatory to Research.”
The UHealth Privacy Office conducts random unannounced walkthroughs of various UHealth sites in order to review practices that safeguard protected health information (PHI). The Privacy Office would like to congratulate the following sites for having no current privacy deficiencies. Thank you for your effort to protect patient privacy and reduce privacy related incidents!