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The author of this blog, David T.S. Fraser, is a Canadian privacy lawyer who practices with the firm of McInnes Cooper. He is the author of the Physicians' Privacy Manual. He has a national and international practice advising corporations and individuals on matters related to Canadian privacy laws.

For full contact information and a brief bio, please see David's profile.

Please note that I am only able to provide legal advice to clients. I am not able to provide free legal advice. Any unsolicited information sent to David Fraser cannot be considered to be solicitor-client privileged.

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The views expressed herein are solely the author's and should not be attributed to his employer or clients. Any postings on legal issues are provided as a public service, and do not constitute solicitation or provision of legal advice. The author makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained herein or linked to. Nothing herein should be used as a substitute for the advice of competent counsel.

This web site is presented for informational purposes only. These materials do not constitute legal advice and do not create a solicitor-client relationship between you and David T.S. Fraser. If you are seeking specific advice related to Canadian privacy law or PIPEDA, contact the author, David T.S. Fraser.

Monday, September 13, 2004

Release: Privacy rule builds biomedical research bottleneck

According to participants at a conference in Boston today, the HIPAA privacy rule is having an adverse impact upon clinical studies and biomedical research:

Privacy rule builds biomedical research bottleneck:
"Complicated regulations hinder basic science and clinical studies
CONTACT: BOSTON, Sept. 13 &em; The Privacy Rule implemented as part of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 is constraining researchers in the United States and slowing the progress of a wide range of clinical studies and biomedical research. Unless fundamental rule changes are addressed, many studies may simply move offshore, warns Roberta Ness, M.D., M.P.H., professor and chair of the department of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH).
Dr. Ness is moderating a policy forum discussion on 'Confidentiality and HIPAA: What's a Researcher to Do?' today during the annual meeting of the American College of Epidemiology. Scientific sessions take place through Sept. 14 at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel.
'HIPAA has had substantial negative effects on our ability to recruit individuals to participate in research,' says Dr. Ness, whose expertise is in women's health-related research, including preeclampsia, ovarian cancer, vaginal microbiology, pelvic inflammatory disease and pregnancy outcomes. 'The way that HIPAA has hurt research, I believe, is a classic example of the law of unintended consequences.' ..."
Labels: information breaches