Balancing health privacy, health information exchange, and research in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. (26th April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lenert, Leslie; McSwain, Brooke Yeager
• Is Part Of: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. Volume 27:Number 6(2020)
• Page Start: 963
• Page End: 966
• Publication Date: 2020-04-26
• Subjects: health privacy -- health information exchange -- COVID-19 -- coronavirus -- COVID-19 research -- HIPAA; Medical informatics -- Periodicals; Information Services -- Periodicals; Medical Informatics -- Periodicals; Médecine -- Informatique -- Périodiques; Informatica; Geneeskunde; Informatique médicale; Computer network resources; Electronic journals; 610.285
• DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocaa039
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1067-5027

Abstract

Abstract: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 infection poses serious challenges to the healthcare system that are being addressed through the creation of new unique and advanced systems of care with disjointed care processes (eg, telehealth screening, drive-through specimen collection, remote testing, telehealth management). However, our current regulations on the flows of information for clinical care and research are antiquated and often conflict at the state and federal levels. We discuss proposed changes to privacy regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act designed to let health information seamlessly and frictionlessly flow among the health entities that need to collaborate on treatment of patients and, also, allow it to flow to researchers trying to understand how to limit its impacts.