Health information technology (Health IT) initiatives harness current and emerging information technologies for the comprehensive management of medical information and its secure exchange between health care consumers, providers and third party payers. Myriad federal, state and private initiatives are underway to speed the development and adoption of a national health IT infrastructure and standards to allow the secure and seamless exchange of data and electronic health records (EHR). This same environment poses new challenges and opportunities for protecting individually identifiable health information. Complex HIPAA Privacy, Security and Transaction Set issues arise from electronic health information exchanges in a networked environment.
Health information technology (Health IT) initiatives harness current and emerging information technologies for the comprehensive management of medical information and its secure exchange between health care consumers, providers and third party payers. Myriad federal, state and private initiatives are underway to speed the development and adoption of a national health IT infrastructure and standards to allow the secure and seamless exchange of data and electronic health records (EHR). This same environment poses new challenges and opportunities for protecting individually identifiable health information. Complex HIPAA Privacy, Security and Transaction Set issues arise from electronic health information exchanges in a networked environment. In addition, market leading health industry clients are responding to the rapid pace of change by outsourcing Health IT functions and even business process functions such as e-billing, collections and customer service functions to strategic third parties, allowing them to focus on core business and core competencies. Butzel Long attorneys counsel our health industry clients, network developers, data exchanges, software licensors, web host and telecommunications vendors, on all aspects of Health IT, outsourcing and HIPAA issues. Through our alliance with Lex Mundi, Butzel Long can advise clients in complex national and off-shore relationships. Butzel Long attorneys know the health industry, the legal system and have practical, hands on experience in technological operations and computer engineering.