The federal government needs to take stronger action in informing Medicare patients about their rights to privacy and security surrounding their medical and health data as telehealth visits continue to surge, according to a Sept. 26 Government Accountability Office report.
The Government Accountability Office examined the telehealth care used by Medicare patients during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to a sudden influx in need, HHS officials temporarily waived select Medicare restrictions on telehealth.
While the need for in-home, remote medical care was critical during the onset of the pandemic, the GAO reports that stricter procedures are needed to enforce telehealth providers' disclosure of privacy and security risks associated with virtual care.
The HHS Office of Civil Rights "encouraged covered providers to notify patients of potential privacy and security risks. However, it did not advise providers of specific language to use or give direction to help them explain these risks to their patients," the report said.
"Providing such information to providers could help ensure that patients understand potential effects on their protected health information in light of the privacy and security risks associated with telehealth technology," the report continued.
The GAO also recommended that HHS' OCR provide supplementary education and outreach to help providers convey the privacy and security risks associated with patients using virtual healthcare services.