Tiger team proposes authentication policies for data exchange

A Department of Health and Human Services advisory group has proposed that healthcare organizations should have digital credentials to establish their corporate identities for patient information exchange. The group recommended authentication policies for electronic health record exchanges between providers and emphasized the importance of authentication in protecting privacy and security. The Office of the National Coordinator aims to build public confidence in organization-to-organization electronic health record exchanges through the NHIN Direct project. The advisory group focused on authenticating organizations but may consider authenticating individuals in the future. Organizations will need to demonstrate legitimacy to obtain digital certificates.