The US Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) will be hosting a Mobile Device Roundtable on Friday, March 16 from 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m in Washington DC.

The topic to be discussed involves ways to safeguard health information from prying eyes and will provide participants with real world usages and real world privacy and security practices. This Mobile Device Roundtable is free and is open to the general public.

“The purpose of the roundtable is to gather leading individuals in health and technology to bring about awareness and understanding to those in the clinical sector regarding securing and protecting health information while using mobile devices.”

The Mobile Device Roundtable will include three panels of federal agency representatives, practicing providers and representatives of research, provider and industry organizations. It will be held in the Hubert H. Humphrey Building in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Great Hall.

Topics that will discussed throughout the day include:

  • The current privacy and security legal framework for mobile devices accessing, storing and/or transmitting health information.

  • Everyday usage of mobile devices by providers and other health care delivery professionals to understand their expectations, attitudes, challenges and needs.

  • Gathering input from providers and other health care delivery professionals regarding the information (and format) they want and need to help them safeguard health information on their mobile devices, as well as input on existing and emerging privacy and security good practices, strategies and technologies.

Interestingly, for the purposes of the Roundtable discussion, a mobile device is defined as a handheld transmitting device with multi-functional capabilities used to store, transmit and receive health information and has user control over the access to the health information.

“Mobile devices combine elements of computing, telephone/fax, Internet and networking functions. This generally includes laptop computers, personal digital assistants (PDA), smartphones, and tablet computers. Mobile transmitting devices generally do not include storage devices such as USB drives.”

For more information, please visit the Mobile Device Roundtable webpage. Continue the discussion in the iMedicalApps Forum.

Source: ONC