HIPAA and cloud computing: What you need to know

Grazed from ThoughtsOnCloud. Author: Allan Tate.

Many of my clients are in the healthcare field, so a common question is if data can be managed on IBM cloud computing solutions in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The relevant part of this law, enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1996, establishes rules for the storage and transmission of electronic health information. In summary, these rules are:

• Privacy Rule: regulates the use and disclosure of protected health information

• Security Rule: sets national standards for the security of electronic protected health information

• Breach Notification Rule: requires that entities and business associates notify affected individuals (and others) following a breach of unsecured protected health information…

Cloud computing HIPAAIn 2009, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act strengthened and clarified these rules. In 2010, the Omnibus rule refined the definitions of covered entities, such as health care providers, and business associates, such as IT service providers. A cloud service provider, such as SoftLayer, an IBM company, is considered a business associate and must demonstrate compliance with relevant provisions of HIPAA-HITECH rules…

Read more from the source @ http://thoughtsoncloud.com/2014/03/hipaa-cloud-computing-healthcare-compliance/

Subscribe to the CloudCow bi-monthly newsletter @ http://eepurl.com/smZeb