U.S. Department of Health and Human Services HHS Office for Civil Rights OCR issued bulletin about online tracking technologies and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act HIPAA. Bulletin follows uptick in litigation concerning these technologies in healthcare.
The healthcare industry has not shied away from using this technology, often leveraging these tools to help improve the patient experience. OCR, which enforces HIPAA, requires covered entities and business associates to proceed with caution in their use of such technologies.
Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services issued a Bulletin to highlight the obligations of HIPAA covered entities and business associates when using online tracking technologies. The Bulletin includes compliance obligations and mobile trakcing.
The Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Health and Human Services published a warning that commonly used website technologies, including cookies, may result in the impermissible disclosure of Protected Health Information to third parties in violation of HIPAA.