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Security of Health Information in Washington

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        The state of Washington has instituted a number of safeguards to maintain the security of health information.  Primarily, the state requires health care providers to take steps to ensure that its health information is secure, by taking such precautions as deleting outdated and incorrect facsimile transmissions or other telephone transmittal numbers from computer databases.1  Entities participating in the exchange of health information must do so in a secure fashion.2  Additionally, the law requires the Washington Department of Health to implement system safeguards to detect and prevent unauthorized access or modification of individually identifiable health information.  The law also outlines specific safeguards that the Department must implement, such as encryption and physical safeguards.3  Many of these requirements are similar to federal HIPAA security regulations.  Washington also regulates the security of electronic pharmacy data, and requires medication record systems to establish security codes to prevent unauthorized modification of data.4

 

 

Footnotes

  • 1. Wash. Rev. Code §70.02.150
  • 2. Wash. Rev. Code §41.05.039
  • 3. Wash. Rev. Code §41.05.042; Wash. Admin. Code §246-455-080
  • 4. Wash. Rev. Code §69.41.055; Wash. Admin. Code §246-875-070

 

Security of Health Information in Washington

Subtopic Statute/Regulation Description
Storage of health information in a secure location (Cross reference Medical Record Collection) Wash. Admin. Code § 246-335-110 Content of Hospice Care Center Services Client Records Hospice Care Centers must maintain a current record for each patient.  The record must be...
Wash. Admin. Code § 246-455-080 Security and Release of Reported Hospital Patient Discharge Data The Department of Health must maintain the confidentiality of any individually...
HIT security systems the state has set up (Cross reference Health Information Technology) Wash. Admin. Code § 246-455-080 Security and Release of Reported Hospital Patient Discharge Data The Department of Health must maintain the confidentiality of any individually...
Wash. Rev. Code § 41.05.039 Health information — Secure access — Lead organization — Administrator's duties The Administrator must have, by August 1, 2009,...
Security of health information in hospitals or other health care facilities (Cross reference Health Information Technology): Other methods of protecting electronic information Wash. Admin. Code § 246-875-070 Confidentiality and Security of Pharmacy Patient Medication Record Systems Information that is contained in patient medication record systems must be...
Wash. Admin. Code § 388-97-1720 Content of Nursing Home Clinical Records Nursing homes must maintain clinical records on each resident.  The records must be complete,...
Wash. Rev. Code § 41.05.042 Health information — Processes, guidelines, and standards The lead organization must, by December 1, 2001, develop guidelines and standards...
Wash. Rev. Code § 69.41.055 Electronic communication of prescription information — Board may adopt rules Practitioners may electronically communicate prescription refill...
Wash. Rev. Code § 70.02.150 Security Safeguards of Health Care Information A health care provider must have reasonable safeguards for the security of all health care information...
Wash. Rev. Code § 70.56.040 Contract with independent entity The department of health must create, through contract with an independent entity, an internet based system for...
Wash. Rev. Code § 70.58.082 Vital records — Rules — Release of copies The department of health must establish rules for releasing copies of vital records. These...
Click on the individual state law in the table above to see our summary of the individual law.


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by Dr. Radut.