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AMA Adopts New Security Guidelines
Doug Caverly
Staff Writer
2009-06-17
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The American Medical Association has taken a step that should make everyone breathe a little easier in the event of a security breach affecting their medical records. Four new guiding principles have been established and passed on to physicians.
 | | AMA Adopts New Security Guidelines |  |
Here, as explained in an AMA press release, is what patients can expect doctors to do when information unexpectedly changes hands:
1. ensure patients are properly informed of the breach
2. follow ethically appropriate procedures for disclosure
3. support responses to security breaches that place the interests of patients above those of physician, medical practice or institution
4. to the extent possible, provide information to patients to enable them to diminish potential adverse consequences of the breach of personal health information. Sounds quite reasonable, right? The timing's not bad, either, since electronic medical records are becoming more and more common.
AMA Board Member William A. Dolan, MD, added in the statement, "EMRs are the wave of the future, so it is important for both patients and physicians to feel secure. These new guidelines prepare physicians to help for patients in the unfortunate situation of an information breach."
And after all, the whole keeping-people-alive business usually gives both doctors and patients enough to worry about under normal circumstances.
About the Author:
Doug is a staff writer for SecurityProNews, InternetFinancialNews, SearchNewz, and WebProNews.
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