Overview
Health information technology (HIT) 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 (IIHI).
Complex Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy, Security, and Transaction and Code Set Rules 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 HIT functions and business process functions such as e-billing, collections, and customer service to strategic third parties, allowing them to focus on core business and core competencies. Butzel attorneys counsel our health industry clients, network developers, data exchanges, software licensors, web host, and telecommunications vendors on all aspects of HIT, outsourcing, and HIPAA issues. Through our alliance with Lex Mundi, Butzel advises clients on complex national and offshore relationships. Our attorneys know the health industry, the legal system, and have practical, hands-on experience in technological operations and computer engineering.
