A Loophole In Medical Privacy Laws Can Lead To Children’s Health Care Data Being Vulnerable To Exposure
Health care provided by school nurses falls outside the the privacy protections that protect other health data. That can lead to school officials and others having access to more medical information than parents realize.
Reuters:
Privacy Law Covering Most Medical Care May Not Apply In Schools
The privacy protections Americans have come to expect when it comes to their medical information may not always apply in school settings, a new report suggests. When a school nurse is involved in a student's medical care, information on that care may end up in the child's educational record - which is accessible without consent to school officials and parents, according to the report in Pediatrics. (Carroll, 2/12)
In other health and privacy news —
Modern Healthcare:
Nearly 438,000 Patients Affected In January-Reported Breaches
Providers, health plans and their business associates reported 29 breaches affecting nearly 438,000 patients to the federal government in the first month of 2020. While the overall number of breaches is down in January compared to December, 10% more patients were affected, according to data from the HHS' Office for Civil Rights, the agency that maintains the government's database of healthcare breaches. But it's down from last year's January, when breaches exposed data of almost 578,000 patients. (Cohen, 2/12)
Modern Healthcare:
Lawmakers Press VA Officials On App Privacy
Lawmakers on Wednesday pressed leaders from the Veterans Affairs Department on how the agency reviews apps for inclusion in the VA App Store, its marketplace of nearly 50 smartphone apps designed to help veterans manage their healthcare. While VA leaders said it inspects apps and developers promoted on its store, lawmakers questioned whether the agency has gone far enough to protect patient data. (Cohen, 2/12)
