Privacy Implications of 21st Century Cures Act

The 21st Century Cures Act intended in part to address medical innovation and promote faster drug approval, also has privacy sensitive provisions. Privacy Tracker reports that “there are a handful of provisions that will impact certain elements of the healthcare privacy world”, along with “a constant reminder throughout the law of the importance of personal data in all aspects of healthcare and the public interest in the appropriate utilisation of this information”. Among other provisions, the law “gives medical researchers the ability to review certain data to develop research protocols remotely” subject to “appropriate security”. Other provisions deal with existing rules regarding the disclosure of healthcare professionals to communicate with certain caregivers.