CDT Files Comments on Health Information Technology Extension Program

CDT filed comments with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding the proper role of regional extension centers in supporting privacy and security protections for health data. This year’s stimulus legislation called for the creation of nonprofit extension centers to disseminate best practices and offer training and technical assistance to health care providers seeking to adopt health information technology systems. In the comments, CDT urged HHS to explicitly require the extension centers to include privacy and security as components of their training and assistance services. CDT’s comments also urged HHS to position extension centers as an interface between health care providers and newly-established HHS regional privacy officers.