HHS releases new risk assessment tool

Designed for small- to medium-sized care environments, a new security risk assessment tool developed jointly by the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and Office for Civil Rights (OCR) is now available for download.

Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule, organizations that handle protected health information are required to review regularly all security safeguards they have in place. The new risk assessment tool allows healthcare providers to conduct and document a thorough risk assessment at their own pace.

In a press statement, Susan McAndrew, deputy director of OCR’s Division of Health Information Privacy said, “We are pleased to have collaborated with the ONC on this project. We believe this tool will greatly assist providers in performing a risk assessment to meet their obligations under the HIPAA Security Rule.” 

The tool is available for Windows and iOS operating systems here.

 


Topics: Technology & IT