Updating HIPAA for the electronic medical record era.

With advances in technology, patients increasingly expect to access their health information on their phones and computers seamlessly, whenever needed, to meet their clinical needs. The 1996 passage of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), modifications made by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), and the recent 21st Century Cures Act (Cures) promise to make patients' health information available to them without special effort and at no cost. However, inconsistencies among these policies' definitions of what is included in "health information", widespread variation in electronic health record system capabilities, and differences in local health system policies around health data release have created a confusing landscape for patients, health care providers, and third parties who reuse health information.

Developing an enterprisewide data strategy.

When considering information governance, CFOs should ask two primary questions: How accurate are our data, and is there a process in place to ensure that data are reliable, timely, up-to-date, and consistent? CFOs also should have at least a general sense of how and where data are flowing and whether the data accurately reflect services rendered. The goal of a formal enterprisewide information governance process is to enable employees to identify data-quality issues up front, thereby avoiding the need to devote valuable time and resources to resolving problems after an error occurs.

Developing a data governance model in health care.

When building a data governance model, finance leaders should: Establish a leadership team and define the program's scope. Calculate the return using the confidence in data-dependent assumptions metric. Identify specific areas of deficiency and create a budget to address these areas.

Everday risk. Protecting against breach in release of information.

Big data breaches grab the headlines, but mounting release of information requests pose everyday risks that require constant diligence.

The value of mentoring.

Mentoring is a vital way that professionals give back to the profession. Here, three distinguished AHIMA mentors explain their commitment to advancing the profession one person at a time.

Body piercing.

A student comes to your office excited about the prospect of getting her tongue pierced. "Isn't it cool?" The popular trend of body piercing is on the rise. It is our job as nurses and health promoters to alert students to the facts.