HIMSS, MGMA unveil security tools for small practices

The Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) have rolled out the HIMSS Privacy & Security Toolkit for Small Provider Organizations.

Small provider organizations may not have the staff or the knowledge to put these safeguards in place, so “our toolkit is truly a roadmap for smaller practices and clinics as well as medical practices of any size that just need basic information on how to navigate the complex privacy and security laws and understand the security components to meet meaningful use that is part of the EHR incentive program,” said Lisa A. Gallagher, senior director of privacy and security at HIMSS, based in Chicago.

The concept for the Privacy and Security Toolkit emerged almost 10 years ago, according to Gallagher. With the passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and its subsequent provision on becoming a meaningful user of health IT, both HIMSS and MGMA saw value in developing a joint toolkit specifically targeting clinicians, practice managers and others who are part of a small provider organization.

The HIMSS Privacy and Security Toolkit for Small Provider Organizations Task Force, a group of HIMSS and MGMA volunteers, developed the toolkit, an online, interactive resource that includes seven sections:

• Introduction;
• CMS Meaningful Use - Stage 1, Privacy and Security;
• ARRA/HITECH - New Privacy and Security Requirements;
• HIPAA;
• Guidance and Resources;
• Research/Data; and
• Information for Executives/Key Decision Makers.

Users can contribute to the toolkit by sharing privacy and security tools they have used and found valuable, as well as ideas for new content or feedback. The Privacy and Security Toolkit Content Review Task Force will review all submissions before posting on the website.

Click here for more information about the HIMSS Privacy & Security Toolkit for Small Provider Organizations.