Moderator, "COVID-19 Privacy and Security Issues: An Expert Discussion," IAPP Summit Sessions

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world in ways unseen for a generation and at a pace that seems to be accelerating every day. Healthcare providers and employers struggle to balance the privacy interests of patients and employees and maintain the security of their health information, all while protecting public health and allaying fears.

Hear from legal and privacy operations leaders and government officials in the healthcare and employment field, who will present their best current thinking about these new and emerging challenges and their potential resolutions. Practical considerations will be discussed, as well as open and settled legal questions.

Topics discussed:

• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights' bulletin on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and the novel coronavirus and exercise enforcement discretion with respect to HIPAA and telehealth.
• When and to whom can healthcare providers and employers disclose positive and negative COVID-19 test results?
• Privacy laws governing employee health information.
• Training staff and public relations on understanding the limits on what they can disclose and what should remain private.
• Security challenges arising from curiosity about COVID-19 patient records, transitions to remote working, and increased phishing attempts.
• Contingency planning with respect to maintaining information security during emergency operations.

Access an on-demand recording of this panel.