Content by Marianne Kolbasuk McGee

HIE 'Rules of Road': What's Next?

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  September 17, 2012

Experts analyze a recent decision by federal regulators to back away from issuing voluntary "rules of the road" for secure health information and offer predictions for what happens next.

Another Big Fine After a Small Breach

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  September 17, 2012

For the second time in three months, federal authorities have issued a hefty financial penalty stemming from a HIPAA compliance investigation after a relatively small breach. Find out all the details.

Monitoring Medical Devices: An Update

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  September 14, 2012

The Food and Drug Administration has proposed several ways to improve post-market medical device surveillance for adverse events and safety issues, including malware-related incidents. Find out the details of a new report.

Inside a HIPAA Breach Investigation

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  September 12, 2012

Thor Ryan, chief security officer at the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, offers lessons learned as a result of his organization's $1.7 million settlement following a HIPAA compliance investigation triggered by a small breach incident.

A State CSO Reflects on a Breach

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  September 12, 2012

Thor Ryan, chief security officer at the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, offers lessons learned as a result of his organization's $1.7 million settlement following a HIPAA compliance investigation triggered by a small breach incident.

ONC Backs Off HIE 'Rules of Road'

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  September 10, 2012

Federal authorities have dropped plans to draft regulations setting voluntary "rules of the road," including privacy and security guidelines, for health information exchanges to help pave the way for the national exchange of information.

Investigation Prompts Privacy Dispute

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  September 7, 2012

A criminal and public health investigation in New Hampshire involving a former hospital worker who allegedly infected dozens of patients with Hepatitis C is turning into a patient privacy debate.

Multi-Factor Authentication Gets a Boost

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  September 7, 2012

An advisory panel wants a multi-factor authentication requirement included in Stage 3 of the HITECH Act electronic health record program. Find out under what circumstances that requirement would apply.

Consumer Advocates Assess HITECH

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  September 6, 2012

Consumer advocates are praising many of the privacy and security provisions of the final rules for Stage 2 of the HITECH Act EHR incentive program but lamenting some omissions. Find out the details.

HITECH Stage 2: How to Prepare

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  September 4, 2012

What's the best way to prepare to comply with HITECH Stage 2 privacy and security requirements? Federal privacy officer Joy Pritts advises healthcare organizations to start by conducting a thorough risk assessment.

HIE Models: Security Pros and Cons

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 31, 2012

Which data architecture model for health information exchanges - centralized, federated or hybrid - is the most secure? Some consumer advocates strongly favor the federated model. What do HIE leaders and security experts say?

An HIE Structure That Breaks the Mold

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 30, 2012

Nine organizations in western Pennsylvania are taking a customized approach to health information exchange that leverages the security technologies they already have in place, says Chris Carmody, who heads the effort.

HITECH Stage 2 Rules: An Analysis

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 29, 2012

The final rules for Stage 2 of the HITECH electronic health record incentive program contain multiple provisions regarding privacy and security. Find out what experts have to say about the merits of the new requirements.

Rethinking Security Best Practices

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 28, 2012

Healthcare organizations need to rethink security best practices and tap new technologies as a result of the growth in health information exchange and the use of mobile devices, says researcher Carl Gunter.

25 Health Breaches Added to Tally

Marianne Kolbasuk McGee  •  August 23, 2012

In recent weeks, federal officials have added 25 incidents affecting 215,000 individuals to the official tally of major healthcare information breaches. Learn all the latest details in a complete update.