Regulation of health-related personal information, only a few years ago, was a comparatively simple affair. Protected Health Information (PHI) used to be regulated under one set of rules known as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The act was applied to a specified set of healthcare plans, clearinghouses, and providers. This was supplemented by smaller targeted statutes that governed specific types of health data. Concurrently, broad oversight of personal data matters was maintained by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
However, the legal and regulatory landscape for healthcare privacy and data protection is shifting into a more complex entity. This is due in part to growing global concerns over privacy and data control, as well as advances in technology. The wide-scale adoption of digital medical records and the rise of health tech startups has thrown the spotlight onto this domain, attracting regulators’ attention.
Now more than ever, businesses and law professionals need to keep pace with changes to ensure precautions are taken to remain compliant. A misstep in this area can result in severe consequences ranging from legal penalties, damage to reputation, and loss of customer trust.
For complete details on how the landscape has changed and what it means for the global health industry, take a look at this comprehensive overview provided by Perkins Coie at JDSupra.