Health privacy project launched

The Center for Democracy & Technology launched a major project on health privacy and information technology. To fulfill an ambitious agenda CDT is joining forces with the Health Privacy Project, which for ten years has been an independent organization. The Health Privacy Project will become part of CDT and Deven McGraw will lead the expanded effort as project director.

CDT’s Health Privacy Project will take on key policy questions, including: the proper role of notice and consent, the right of patients to access their own health records in electronic formats, identification and authentication, secondary uses, and enforcement mechanisms. It will address both the traditional exchange of records among providers and payers, as well as new consumer access services and Personal Health Records.

The project will work with consumer advocates, health care providers, employers, technologists, government agencies, policy makers, developers and vendors of products and services, to promote acceptance and implementation of privacy policy solutions.