EHR privacy: Proposed 'access report' would reveal names of snoops

As protection of patients' health information becomes increasingly critical, a proposed rule from the Department of Health and Human Services would give patients the right to see the name of any person who accessed their electronic health records, MSNBC reports. This "access report," which would function much like a free credit report, would be available from some healthcare providers as soon as Jan. 1, 2013. Although HHS stated that most providers opposed the proposed rule, contending it would be costly to implement and provide limited user benefit, supporters say that the ability to reveal snoops' names would serve as a powerful deterrent to HIPAA violations. Comments to the proposed rule close Aug. 1, 2011. Proposed rule