Wednesday, October 20, 2004 - 8:35 AM
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HIPAA, FERPA, and the Sharing of Immunization Data

BACKGROUND:
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule governs the use and disclosure of personally identifiable health care information. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that affords parents certain rights in regard to the personally identifiable information contained in their child’s education records. Both of these laws impact the sharing of immunization data with schools.

OBJECTIVE:
This presentation will describe: 1) the impact of HIPAA and FERPA on the sharing of immunization data among providers, schools, and public health, 2) steps that have been taken to facilitate this exchange of information and, 3) any recent developments related to this issue.

METHOD:
A legal analysis of HIPAA, FERPA, and state laws pertaining to privacy and the sharing of immunization information was conducted and discussed with experts in the public and private sector. Concerns were discussed with practitioners at the state and local level.

RESULT:
As a result of this legal analysis, several practitioners at the state and local level have developed materials to educate providers about the impact of these laws, and to facilitate the exchange of immunization information.

CONCLUSION:
The impact of HIPAA and FERPA on the sharing of immunization data among providers, schools, and public health must include an analysis of HIPAA implementation and existing state laws.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Attendees will be able to describe the impact of HIPAA and FERPA on the sharing of immunization data. Attendees will be prepared to discuss specific questions with legal counsel and to develop educational materials.


  Recorded presentation

See more of Laws and Avenues of Sharing Immunization Data
See more of The 2004 Immunization Registry Conference