Do Hipaa And The Apple Watch Go Together?

The use of mobile technology in the healthcare industry has exploded in the last ten years. Mobile health or mHealth, provides an entire new aspect of the relationship between patients and their doctors and other medical providers. Mobile devices place important and critical information into a medical professional’s hands in real-time. Doctors can monitor a patient’s condition more frequently, allowing them to make better and more informed decisions and diagnoses.

As consumers utilize smartphones, tablets, and other devices for other functions like social media and email, they are starting to look at these features to assist them with their healthcare. Mobile body area network devices will be a growing trend in the coming years as a way to get patients engaged in their healthcare and also to give providers routine updates on the status of patients with chronic conditions. As DeGaspari (2014) indicates, these devices can lead to improved functionality for other devices used in hospitals, such as sensors for monitoring patients that might get up and wander or be a fall risk. Telemedicine will continue to grow as payers, providers, and patients all start to realize the mutual benefits that can be

In the 1990’s, it became apparent that the Consumer Protection Act was insufficient for the protection of patient’s electronic health information. For several years, plans developed, and the result was HIPAA, which was enacted in 1996. It took until 1999 to finalize the Privacy Rule. The following year, the Security Rule, Transactions and Code Sets Rule, and National Provider Identifier Rule were finalized. The required compliance date for the Security Rule was 4/20/2005 to allow providers the necessary time to put policies and procedures in place. In 2006, enforcement was enacted. It quickly became apparent that technology was advancing beyond the scope of the Security Rule, and in 2009, the HITECH Act was enacted to support the Security Rule. (Sayles, 2014)

Most people have a basic understanding about HIPAA and what it entails, but for future healthcare leaders, it is a critical issue. The goals behind the HIPAA privacy rules are very beneficial for keeping individual’s health information private, but it does place a heavy burden on organizations to ensure the information remains protected. Healthcare leaders have always had to adapt to change, but it is becoming increasingly necessary to have leaders that can adapt quicker than ever. Not only do they need to keep up with the technological advances in healthcare, but they also need to become compliant with the new and ever-changing healthcare laws. Numerous modifications have been implemented under HIPAA in the

HIPAA compliance and technology use: In 1996 when Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted HIPAA compliance and the use of technology was not given that much importance as it is today. Only small percentage of people owned mobile phones twenty years ago which didn 't have a lot of capabilities of communicating except the basic text messaging. Twenty years later the mobile device technology is much advanced and has much more capabilities and much faster than imagined. Advanced capabilities include messaging, internet access, e-mails and ability to take pictures and be able to send using the mobile device.

What an exciting time to become part of the health care industry! Medical research makes new discoveries to improve the quality of patient care and save lives on a daily basis. Health care reform is gaining momentum, revolutionizing the industry and requiring many administrative changes, such as the creation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Rules and standards evolved from this act provide a way to ensure your protected health information remains confidential. In this digital age, it is particularly relevant. The digital evolution impacts many areas. Digital TVs, computers, smart phones and iPods have totally changed the way we do business and enjoy entertainment. In the medical industry, the

Congress recognizing the growth in healthcare technology passed into law on August 21, 1996, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) (Booth 2011). HIPAA was created with the purpose of improving the portability and continuity of health care coverage(Booth 2011). The function of this national framework is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the healthcare delivery system by creating privacy protection that builds on efforts by all 50 states ( Booth 2011). This consolidated effort is geared toward protecting and enhancing the rights of patients by providing them access to their health information and at the same time controlling the inappropriate use or revelation of their pertinent health information (Booth 2011). HIPPA, which is

The best part of the Fitbit is not the watch itself, but the app. The app syncs with your device via Bluetooth and keeps track with the device throughout the day. I quite enjoy this feature as it allows me to wear the device and not worry about keeping track of my steps, my sleep, and my heart rate.

The health care industry has become increasingly reliant on technology. From medical translation tools to mobile apps, these devices are helping healthcare institutions save money and improve patient treatment.

In recent years, companies have attempted to create the perfect fitness tool to assist individuals in tracking their diet and exercise habits. From wristbands to iPhone applications, corporations have created multiple ways to track and encourage healthy lifestyle habits. Although the majority of individuals find these tools beneficial, there are some who are concerned the use of these fitness tools can lead to obsessive and potentially harmful behavior. In a recent blog, Andria Martin discussed how the use of a Fitbit Flex triggered a relapse in her eating disorder. Andria concludedd the Fitbit Flex was ultimately detrimental to her health. Although the Fitbit Flex could lead to obsessive unhealthy behaviors, if used in moderation these fitness tools could be very beneficial for individuals who need motivation to stay on task in their health goals.

Today, technology is usually way ahead in every aspect of our world, especially with mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones. All of these devices have photography and data transmission as well as storage capabilities. These functions, on mobile devices, present legal challenges and issues especially when it comes to compliance with HIPPA. While HIPPA regulations do describe how patient health information or PHI should be handled, to date, they have not been changed to specifically account for smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Laws and policies must be implemented to protect PHI on personal mobile devices. At the state level, the policymakers that will be contacted are Richard Corcoran, House Health Committee Chairman and Aaron

HHS will support the privacy, security, and integrity of patient health information across all of its HIE acceleration activities: Over the past years, HIPAA has become a serious problem in the healthcare field. Although sharing of patient information through EHR is highly encouraged, it is crucial that only the people involved in the care of the patient have access to the patient’s data. Moreover, patients should give consent to the providers before sharing their medical information. Stage 1 of meaningful use encourages the protection of the patient’s electronic information. This principle is aligned wih the concept of meaningful use.

HIPAA stands for Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. It has been in place from 1996. This act set the initial rules regarding the usage and disclosure of personal health information. A person’s Protected Health Information is also referred to as PHI. PHI is any given information about health status, payment for health care or provision of health care that can be associated with a particular person. This is rather ambiguous and inclusive of any part of a patient’s payment history or medical record.

Wearable Technology is one of the many innovative devices used to achieve goals, manage money, and stay organized. Technology aims to create innovative ideas for not only these aspects, but to also help people become aware of their health. Starting in the year 2015, Ochsner Health System began asking entrepreneurs nationwide, to submit suggestions on possible wearable technology, that may ameliorate how patients monitor diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses. Ochsner's chief clinical transformation officer, Richard Milani, discovered Louisiana is fifth in the nation for rates of heart disease and diabetes. With a number so high ranked in the nation, Milani believes this makes Louisiana the ideal place for testing new technology,

Technology is on the rise more than ever before. Due to the fact that technology has drastically changed the way we behave, think and do things in our daily lives, it seems as though students experience it first-hand, as opposed to previous generations. The different methods and uses of technology have been exposed to all of us in some way or manner. One of the greatest transformative areas that technology is playing a large part in is the healthcare industry. “A new area of focus in the HIT domain is the healthcare consumer, including both patients and non-patients. Consumer health informatics is an emerging field (that includes mHealth) that engages healthcare consumers in maintaining and monitoring their health using technology, including the Internet, smart phone applications, and monitoring devices. For example, social networking is being used by consumers for a variety of purposes” (Chaterjee, LeRouge & Tremblay, 2013, p.5). As people populate this world in different areas and new children are being born into this world, the healthcare industry radically changes for the better in most cases, however other complicated cases still arise.