It’s a grudgingly accepted fact of life among many that specific personal data and more general meta data about nearly everyone is stored online, possibly accessible to people, corporations and governments willing to look for it. 

Fitness trackers and mobile apps that focus on “general wellness” won’t be regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), according to new guidance released by the agency, while warning that more invasive technologies still fall under its purview.

A new draft guidance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeks to clarify how Unique Device Identifiers (UDIs) are included on medical devices.

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has reached a settlement of $2.75 million with the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson concerning the matter of a missing laptop.

A report on privacy and security concerns surrounding new technology that collects health data, such as wearable fitness trackers, admitted regulations like HIPAA haven’t kept pace with new developments.

In recent news, healthcare hackers such as “TheDarkOverlord” have been stealing private patient records and parading their spoils around the internet. He claims to be selling these private documents on the black market is ransom is not paid by the healthcare providers he initially stole the information from. This activity has caught the interest of the FBI, reports Information Management. 

After reversing a five-year-old ban on healthcare organizations sending orders in May, the Joint Commission has changed plans again, announcing in its June newsletter the previous ban won’t be lifted until September.

The safety, effectiveness and data security of mobile healthcare applications were examined by a U.S. House subcommittee in a July 13 hearing, with lawmakers alternating between excitement over their potential and concern that consumers’ data isn’t being protected.