Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert

Published on Fri Dec 21, 2012 PDF

Plus: Physician convicted of over $17 million in fraudulent claims.

Many Part B practices have adapted to using mobile electronic devices to help maintain patient records, such as tablets, laptops, and smartphones--but with new technology comes new concerns about ensuring that protected health information (PHI) stays private. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) aims to help you secure that information with the release of a new initiative called "Mobile Devices: Know the Risks. Take the Steps. Protect and Secure Health Information."

"The use of mobile health technology holds great promise in improving health and health care, but the loss of health information can have a devastating impact on the trust that patients have in their providers.  It’s important that these tools are used correctly," said Joy Pritts, HHS’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) chief privacy officer in a Dec. 12 statement. "Health care providers, administrators and their staffs must create a culture of privacy and security across their organizations to ensure the privacy and security of their patients’ protected health information."

According to the new publication, you can take steps such as encryption, passwords, firewalls, and other methods to confirm that your PHI remains private. In addition, the agency suggests you keep your mobile devices with you at all times and delete any information you won’t need any longer.

To read all of HHS’s resources on this topic, visit http://www.healthit.gov/providers-professionals/your-mobile-device-and-health-information-privacy-and-security.