In a recent development, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has released two in-depth documents. Intended to educate healthcare providers, these resources focus primarily on the privacy and security risks associated with telehealth, a medium witnessing unprecedented growth amidst global health crises.
The OCR’s initiative is significant, considering the rampant adoption of telehealth services, which has sparked new challenges and raised concerns regarding patient data privacy and protection. Undeniably, the healthcare industry faces an urgent need to address these concerns, amidst the rise in cyber threats and data breaches.
While these documents were generated primarily with healthcare providers in mind, they are very much relevant to the legal professionals in the healthcare sector. The resource documents discuss common risks, various federal protections and standards, HIPAA obligations and more, making them a useful reference for law firms navigating the frontiers of healthcare, information security, and privacy law.
For more details on these documents, you may refer to the full report by Rivkin Radler LLP, available here.
These developments underscore the crucial roles that legal professionals play in the evolving landscape of digital health. With the continuing integration of technology in healthcare, law firms and legal departments will undoubtedly need to stay adept and informed, understanding not only the current laws but also potential future legislation in this swiftly changing field.
This new guidance from OCR serves as a timely reminder to legal practitioners of the importance of vigilance, due diligence, and proactive behavior in safeguarding the rights and interests of their clients in the healthcare sector.