The HIT Policy Committee’s Privacy and Security Tiger Team will be holding a virtual, public hearing to explore practical ways to provide patients with greater transparency about the uses and disclosures of their digital, identifiable health information. Such exploration also may facilitate implementation by the Office for Civil Rights of the HITECH requirement that a patient’s right under the HIPAA Privacy Rule to an “accounting” of disclosures include disclosures for “treatment, payment and operations” when such disclosures are made through “an electronic health record.” The Privacy Committee of the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics’ Subcommittee on Privacy, Confidentiality and Security and the HIT Standards Committee’s Privacy and Security Work Group will also participate in the question and answer periods. This hearing will be held on Monday, September 30 from 11:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EDT.  Instructions on how to listen to this meeting are at the following link: http://www.healthit.gov/facas/calendar/2013/09/30/policy-privacy-security-tiger-team-virtual-hearing.

At the hearing, the Tiger Team will hear testimony from stakeholders including providers, payers, technology developers, business associates, and patient advocates. In addition, the Tiger Team invites members of the public to provide written answers to key discussions questions through the ONC blog at: http://www.healthit.gov/buzz-blog/. The Tiger Team will consider these answers as it continues to deliberate and make recommendations on these issues. In addition, the hearing will include time for public comments from 4:45 to 5:00 p.m. EDT.  Specific instructions on how to do so will be provided at the hearing.