"In particular, the HHS' privacy approach does not include a defined process for assessing and prioritizing the many privacy-related initiatives to ensure that key privacy principles and challenges will be fully and adequately addressed. Moreover, the department may miss an opportunity to establish the high degree of public confidence and trust needed to help ensure the success of a nationwide health information network."
— GAO Health Information Technology Report, September 2008

The aim of HIPAA is to bolster the privacy and security of patient information, but in truth, personal medical data is an open book in our fragmented health care system – from medical providers, to insurance companies, to self-insured employers, to laboratories and to payment companies, medical transcriptionists, pharmacies and pharmacy benefits systems, government regulators and more. Health care providers continue to be frustrated that there are no standardized practices for compliance. As demand grows to use personal health information for research, administrative and policy making purposes and our anonymity shrinks in an increasingly digital world, many in health care believe more should – and can – be done to protect this information.

The World Health Care Congress Leadership Summit on Privacy and Security convenes health care executives and leading privacy experts to examine privacy, security and compliance issues that are a reality and must be addressed now to keep Protected Health Information just that… protected. Thought leaders representing the provider, hospital/health system, payer, patient advocate, policy and legal perspectives delve into the critical issues.

• Managing Electronic Health Information and Related Risks and Complexities
• Addressing the Cascading Effect of Medical Identity Theft
• Exploring the Privacy and Security Implications of Next-Generation Health Care Technologies
• Understanding the Importance of Data Breaches and Their Impact on Your Brand
• Creating a Set of Best Security Practices to Heighten EMR Security and Privacy – a HITRUST case study
• Considering Differences in State, Federal and International Privacy Law
• The Red Flag Rule – What to do, how to do it and how big of a deal is it?
• Identifying the Drawbacks of Using PHRs in a Transparent Society
• Defining the Role of Consent Before, During and After Care Delivery
• How Privacy and Security Concerns Thwart IT and Interoperability Initiatives
• Developing an Internal Audit Program to Prevent, Investigate and Mitigate Data Theft Damages
• Debating HIPAA – Does it really protect privacy or is it time for a second look?