AHIMA Addresses Health Record Privacy and Security Breaches

CHICAGO, November 6, 2008—The alarming news reports concerning high-profile victims of personal medical information security and privacy breaches raises the bar on the necessity to educate and inform healthcare professionals, their employers, the media, and healthcare consumers on the importance of privacy protection, confidentiality and security of personal health records.

“It’s critical for healthcare professionals to receive more education about good privacy practices and appropriate interpretation of HIPAA and other regulations,” said American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) President Wendy Mangin, director of medical records and privacy officer at Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes, Indiana.

Educating healthcare professionals on privacy and security issues is an ongoing concern within the health information industry. Recently, AHIMA’s House of Delegates voted to approve a resolution that asked AHIMA members to call on healthcare organizations to educate users of health information about the need for improved and consistent patient privacy and security; that health information management professionals be on the forefront of educating about auditing and monitoring access to health information; and that AHIMA endorse consistent healthcare policies and standards when a breach does occur.

AHIMA recognizes the public’s right to accurate and confidential personal health information and the need for advanced practices, processes and standards which safeguard their medical records.

About AHIMA

The American Health Information Management Association is America’s leading professional society whose mission is to “improve healthcare by advancing best practices and standards for health information management and [serve as] the trusted source for education, research and professional credentialing.” AHIMA represents more than 53,000 specially educated HIM professionals who serve healthcare and the public by managing, analyzing and utilizing data vital for health system management. www.ahima.org