Health Information Privacy and Security Collaboration (HISPC): An overview

Background: The successful adoption of health information technology and implementation of electronic health information exchange has both local and nationwide components. Technology can accommodate a range of approaches to privacy and security, however, there is a limit to the amount of variability that can occur and still permit efficient exchange of electronic health information. Thus, research is needed to identify solutions that will conform with local preferences as well as support nationwide exchange.

Established in June 2006 by RTI International through a contract with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Health Information Security and Privacy Collaboration (HISPC) was originally comprised of 34 states and territories working to identify privacy and security solutions to support interoperable health information exchange. By 2008, the HISPC project included 42 states and territories working jointly to address the many privacy and security challenges identified in Phase 1 of the project.

Objective/Purpose: To bring together states and territories to address key privacy and security issues essential to the successful implementation of health IT and health information exchange.

Methods and Results: After completion of an initial process to assess variation in state-level privacy and security practices, policies, and laws, states and territories formed “multi-state collaboratives” to develop common, replicable solutions to 7 identified priority areas. This presentation will provide detailed information about the solutions developed by each of the 7 multi-state collaboratives which seek to reduce variation in privacy and security practices, policies and laws as well as educate key constituencies.