HHS Seeks Comments on Accounting for Disclosures of Protected Health Information

The Office for Civil Rights within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently published a proposed rule on the accounting of disclosures of patient data from electronic health records. According to the rule, care providers, health plans and their business associates must detail disclosures of information even for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations through an electronic record system, such as electronic health record or payment record system.

The rule also proposes to expand the accounting provision to provide individuals with the right to receive an access report indicating who has accessed their electronic protected health information in a designated record set. The open comment period ends on August 1, 2011. For more information, click here.

UPDATE (Aug. 3): Click here to read AMIA's official comments on this request.