| January 4, 2000 Subject: Nomination of Linda L. Kloss, CEO, AHIMA to the Advisory Committee on Online Access and Security, P004807 Please accept this self-nomination to the Advisory Committee on Online Access and Security. I am the chief executive officer of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), a 40,000 member national professional association whose members manage access to confidential health care information in hospitals, clinics and other health care settings. Access and security have long been important issues for health care organizations and AHIMA's members have been the specialists responsible for administering policy, dealing with requests for information, and training health care workers on effective information management practice. AHIMA has worked tirelessly to advocate in favor of balanced information practices that protect patients, yet foster appropriate use of new technologies to improve patient care. Our association has published a number of guidelines and position statements for the health care industry on access and security practices. Many of these can be accessed on our Web site: http://www.ahima.org. AHIMA has also addressed the consumer on accessing and understanding their personal health record. AHIMA has been a constant voice calling for reasonable federal legislation to protect the confidentiality of health information. Members of AHIMA's staff and volunteer leaders served on the NRC study of healthcare security practices and AHIMA has long supported the work of ASTM and other standards groups establishing health care information confidentiality standards. Now, the Web is being used to communicate sensitive health information and health records are being maintained on the Internet. Accordingly, AHIMA's venue for promulgating sound access and security practices has moved from the institution to the Internet. To that end, AHIMA has convened a national task force to study practices and articulate principles to guide Web-based healthcare information management practices. The timing of this FTC study coincides with AHIMA's work and ensures that, as a Committee member, I will be able to bring forward, not just my own opinion, but that of a national panel of healthcare information management experts. To summarize my qualifications for membership on the Advisory Committee,
My resume is provided under separate cover. I put forth this
self-nomination with the support of the Chair and Chair-elect of my
organization's board of directors. AHIMA looks forward to the
opportunity to serve the FTC and the public in this important work of
setting reasonalble consumer access and information security practices. |