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Paubox Weekly: HHS and FTC issue stern warning on online tracking in healthcare

Written by Dean Levitt | July 21, 2023

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Today’s Paubox Weekly is 574 words - a 2 minute read.

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1. HHS and FTC issue stern warning on online tracking in healthcare

The Office for Civil Rights and the Federal Trade Commission have sent a joint letter to 130 hospital systems and telehealth providers warning against the use of tracking technologies, like Meta/Facebook pixel and Google Analytics, that can track a user's online activities.

What they're saying: OCR director, Melanie Fontes Rainer, said, "Although online tracking technologies can be used for beneficial purposes, patients and others should not have to sacrifice the privacy of their health information when using a hospital's website."

Online trackers are a privacy and legal risk

 

 

Did you know?

You can earn $250 for every organization you send our way. Here's how.

 

 

2. Lunch with Diane Paloma (Hawaii Dental Service): the Paubox roadmap

Hoala Greevy, Paubox CEO, had lunch with Diane Paloma, CEO of Hawaii Dental Service, at The Pacific Club yesterday in Honolulu and shared the Paubox roadmap.

 

Why it matters: Customer feedback is a core tenet of the Paubox Foundations, which are principles and values we care intensely about.

 

What it's like being a Native Hawaiian CEO

 

 

3. The guide to Salesforce and HIPAA compliance

Salesforce is willing to sign a BAA with customers that handle PHI. Still, it's important to note that not all Salesforce services are covered under the BAA.

Go deeper: Always double-check that the specific feature or product is covered by the BAA and that the particular usage is HIPAA compliant. Note that Salesforce CRM can be HIPAA compliant when used with Paubox.

Is Salesforce HIPAA compliant?

 

4. New factsheet released to help organizations transition to cloud environments

The CISA published a factsheet to assist transitioning companies in identifying necessary tools and techniques to maintain the integrity of their data security systems. 

What was said: According to the report, the factsheet is designed to provide "tools and guidance that can be used to help mitigate the risk of information theft, data encryption and extortion, and information exposure." 

The five tools that organizations should utilize

 

5. Analysis shows common causes of data breaches in 2023

An investigation conducted by Stacker has revealed the most common causes of health data breaches between March and May of 2023. 

Go deeper: Stacker reported that 75.8% of the breaches they sampled occurred from hacking or IT-related incidents. While there have been fewer breaches overall, breaches in 2023 generally compromise significantly more records than in previous years.

The most common causes of data breaches

 

 

Community links

  • Imagine360 reports large data breach. Link
  • What is the HIPAA treatment exception? Link
  • HIPAA compliance in wearable devices. Link
  • How to securely dispose of PHI according to HIPAA standards. Link
  • When is texting patients a HIPAA violation? Link
  • What is the Common Rule? Link
  • What is the HIPAA right to amend? Link

 

Good reads from around the web

  • Scammers use AI to mimic voices of loved ones in distress. Link
  • Bot mess: AI-generated clickbait will hasten the demise of search and web publishing. Link
  • Thousands of UK hospital doctors walk out in the latest pay dispute, crippling health services. Link
  • Ambient energy usage readings can support remote patient monitoring. Link
  • What impact will Alzheimer’s drug donanemab have? Link