Corporate Compliance

HHS task force: Consider privacy, security with text messages

Compliance Monitor, February 8, 2012

An HHS task force recommends that if the government encourages and helps develop health text messaging and mobile health programs, it better look into privacy and security concerns.

The task force Jan. 26 recommends that HHS conduct “further research” into the privacy and security risks associated with text messaging of health information and establish guidelines for managing such privacy/security issues.

“The exchange of health information via text messages raises privacy and security issues specific to this medium,” the task force wrote in an HHS release. “Text messaging programs may be subject to numerous privacy and security laws, including [HIPAA's] privacy and security rules.”

Read more on the HIPAA Update blog.

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