Security Requirements & Meaningful Use

With the exception of HIPAA, nothing has been as transformative to Healthcare Information Technology as HITECH, especially pertaining to requirements around "meaningful use" of EHR.

For providers, when it comes to meaningful use, security can be a scary topic. Since it's a Phase 1 core requirement, it has providers asking questions (and the business associates supporting those providers) about what specific actions they need to take to address this topic. And while it's true that many providers will have to take some action to address security and privacy in the manner HHS intends, there's also an "upside" for security in meaningful use; namely, actions taken in the product space as part of certification efforts can help providers in historically challenging areas of security.

This discussion will address the security requirements for providers as it relates to meaningful use: what HHS has said to date, enforcement guidance via OCR, as well as what information and direction there is from other stakeholders.