Most HIPAA Violation Complaints Quietly Closed By Government Through Private Letter
Most cases alleging a doctor's violation of patient privacy or medical information security are closed out of public view through these letters. ProPublica now posts hundreds of them in its HIPAA Helper tool. In other health IT news, a New York surgeon experiments with augmented reality to help understand the brain.
ProPublica:
The Secret Documents That Detail How Patients’ Privacy Is Breached
As part of its examination into the impact of privacy violations on patients, ProPublica has posted about 300 of these “closure letters” in our HIPAA Helper tool. The app allows users to review details of these cases and track repeat offenders. We obtained the letters under the Freedom of Information Act and this is the largest repository of them ever made public. Most of the letters we’ve received were sent to two large providers, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and CVS Health. (Ornstein, 7/21)
ABC News:
What A Brain Surgeon's Virtual Reality Tool And Pokemon Go Have In Common
Augmented reality may be grabbing headlines with the rise of the hit game Pokemon Go, but a New York surgeon is examining how this technology could be used to save lives during some of the most complex brain operations. (Mohney, 7/22)