Health Privacy
Health information technology (“health IT”) has tremendous potential to improve health care quality and reduce costs while empowering patients to play a greater role in the management of their own care. At the same time, however, electronic storage and exchange of personal health information poses risks to privacy. Unaddressed, privacy concerns can stand in the way of realizing the benefits of health IT, for neither patients nor providers will make full use of a system they do not trust.
In March 2008, CDT launched a major initiative to address the complex privacy issues associated with the growing use of health IT. Drawing on CDT’s credibility in technology and policy and our leadership as privacy advocates, our Health Privacy Project is bringing the voice of a pragmatic expert to the health privacy conversation. CDT’s Health Privacy Project takes on key policy questions, including: the proper role of notice and consent, the right of patients to access their own health records, identification and authentication, secondary uses, and enforcement mechanisms. It addresses both the traditional exchange of records among health plans and providers, as well as new consumer access services and personal health records.
Follow the latest CDT news with Press Releases, Events, and where we've been featured around the Internet.
| Name | Issues | Date |
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Tighter Medical Privacy Rules Sought In the News: The Obama administration is rewriting new rules on medical privacy after an outpouring of criticism... |
8/23/2010 | |
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CDT Releases Major Report on Guidelines for Personal Health Records Press Release: Washington, DC --The Center for Democracy & Technology's Health Privacy Project today... |
Personal Health Records | 7/26/2010 |
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CDT Statement on Changes to HIPAA Privacy and Security Rules Statement: Washington, DC – The Center for Democracy & Technology is pleased today with release of... |
HIPAA | 7/8/2010 |
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CDT will host a Health Privacy Breakfast Panel on Privacy and Security in the HITECH Era Event: HITECH included a number of important changes to the HIPAA privacy rules, and California has also... |
6/23/2010 | |
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California hospitals fined as medical records are breached In the News: At Marysville's Rideout Memorial Hospital, 17 security guards rifled through the personal... |
6/12/2010 |
Policy Posts deliver in-depth analysis of current issues affecting the Internet. These documents are a leading resource for policy makers, the press, industry representatives, students, and others interested in legal and policy issues affecting the Internet.
| Name | Issues | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CDT Breaks Down Proposed Changes to HIPAA | The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed a set of significant updates to... | HIPAA | 8/6/2010 |
| Stronger Protections for, and Encouraging the Use of, De-Identified (and "Anonymized") Health Data | 1) The Importance of De-Identified Health Data 2) De-Identification, Limited Data Set Requirements... | De-Identified Data | 6/26/2009 |
| Personal Health Records Need a Comprehensive and Consistent Privacy and Security Framework | Personal health records (PHRs) - records that are managed, controlled, and shared by individuals... | Personal Health Records | 6/9/2009 |
| Improvements and Challenges in Health Privacy Law | The economic stimulus bill signed by President Obama on February 17 included provisions making... | HITECH/ARRA Implementation | 3/27/2009 |
| Privacy and Security Principles for Health Information Technology | CDT believes there is a need to adopt a comprehensive privacy and security framework for protection... | Privacy Framework | 6/24/2008 |
Find all our latest testimony, papers, and other reports here.
| Name | Author | Issues | Date |
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Building a Strong Privacy and Security Policy Framework for Personal Health Records Paper: A growing number of individuals use electronic personal health records (PHRs) to manage personal... |
Personal Health Records | 7/23/2010 | |
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Health Information Privacy: Current Trends, Future Opportunities Comment: CDT has filed these comments in advance of the FTC's 3rd "Exploring Privacy"... |
3/1/2010 | ||
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ARRA Accounting of Disclosures Requirements Paper: This paper summarizes the origins of the accounting of disclosure requirements under the Health... |
Deven McGraw | HITECH/ARRA Implementation | 2/1/2010 |
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President’s Council of Advisors on Science & Technology Health Information Planning Meeting Testimony: We appreciate the opportunity to present on health privacy issues. By way of background, you... |
Deven McGraw | 12/18/2009 | |
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Consumers Union's and CDT Comments Upon Draft Interim Privacy and Security Guidelines for Health Info Exchange in California Comment: Consumers Union and Center for Democracy and Technology write to express our concern about some... |
State Privacy Protections | 12/1/2009 |
