Health Information Security and Privacy Collaboration (HISPC)

HIT and HIE Security and Privacy Remain a Priority: Read the Office of the National Coordinator's (ONC's) 2008-2012 Strategic Plan and the 2008 State Alliance for E-Health Report.

Click for an International Perspective.

The URAC October 2008 issue reports that " A study by the Markle foundation found that while 88 percent of Americans say online health records are important in reducing health care costs, nearly as many (80 percent) say they are very concerned about identity theft, fraud or the possibility their information will get into the hands of marketers". Read October Issue: "Cashing in on Personal Health Information: The importance of HIPAA standards to protect consumer privacy".

In 2006 and 2007, the HISPC project enabled 34 states and territories including Kansas to grapple with some of the barriers to HIT adoption – particularly those related to the security and privacy of electronic health information. Through the HISPC project, Kansas has assessed variation in business policies and state laws that affect electronic health information exchange; identified and proposed practical solutions to reduce variation while preserving legal requirements for the privacy and security of information; and developed detailed plans to implement proposed solutions. A conspicuous outcome of the HISPC project in Kansas was the engagement of a broad cross-section of stakeholders and policy makers in a discussion of statutory and regulatory reform. This project, as much as any of the state’s HIT and HIE initiatives, raised the public’s awareness of HIT/HIE and focused attention on the rights and responsibilities of those who share protected health information. To increase the cross-state collaboration, in 2007 the following cross-state collaboratives were formed:

• consumer education and engagement (Click here to read more about Kansas involvement)
• provider education
• standards policy adoption
• harmonizing state privacy law
• consent options, outcomes, and best
• consent data elements required for
• interorganizational agreements

Kansas has significant roles in the consumer education and engagement and harmonizing state privacy law multi-state collaboratives. Activities to accomplish the objectives of the multi-state collaborative projects began in April 2008. The 2008 Kansas Team includes:

• Helen Connors, RN, PhD, Dr PS (Hon), FAAN
• Victoria Wangia, PhD, MS
• Christina Stephan, MD
• Jeff Ellis, JD
• Julie Roth, JD
• Steering Committee
• Consumer Education and Engagement Workgroup