In the Headlines
May 1, 2025
Patients Worried About Autism 'Registry'? Encourage Them to 'Be Heard.'
Part B News
Healthcare and privacy attorney Shannon Hartsfield was quoted in a Part B News article about concerns surrounding U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announcements regarding a potential autism "registry" and the protection of vulnerable patients' health data. Amid fears about government access to private medical records and protected health information (PHI), Ms. Hartsfield clarified that federal privacy laws such as the Privacy Act of 1974 require agencies to safeguard identifiable information, though re-identification risks remain when data sets are combined.
"Efforts to promote public health are not new, and there are laws and rules in place to govern how federal agencies must protect this information," she said.
READ: Patients Worried About Autism 'Registry'? Encourage Them to 'Be Heard.' (Subscription required)
"Efforts to promote public health are not new, and there are laws and rules in place to govern how federal agencies must protect this information," she said.
READ: Patients Worried About Autism 'Registry'? Encourage Them to 'Be Heard.' (Subscription required)