Health systems are expressing concern over a recent update to federal security standards aimed at protecting patient data from cyberattacks. The update, the first major overhaul of the HIPAA Security Rule in more than a decade, requires encryption, multifactor authentication and rapid data restoration, but health systems argue that the changes are too expensive and unworkable, especially for smaller facilities. HHS estimates that the first-year compliance costs will total roughly $9 billion, with annual costs of $6 billion in subsequent years.

Massachusetts General Hospital has developed a clinical decision support system embedded in EHRs to evaluate hospitalized patients who are suspected to have tuberculosis. The tool correctly identified all cases of TB and recommended the discontinuation of isolation precautions when appropriate.

The Peterson Health Technology Institute has formed a task force to evaluate AI technologies for health care delivery, focusing on ambient scribes and revenue cycle management tools. The task force, which has been in operation for six months, includes executives from a dozen health systems, such as UC San Diego Health and Intermountain Health. A report on AI-powered ambient scribes and revenue cycle management tools is expected this quarter.

Leaders should embrace agile optimism, which is more open-minded than fragile optimism that hinges on positive outcomes, writes Nick Tasler, an organizational psychologist. "Believing that you or your team can accurately predict all the details on the road to your desired outcome without making any missteps ensures that it's only a matter of time before your fragile optimism shatters into a thousand little pieces," Tasler writes.

A retrospective study in the Journal of Pain Research has shown the potential of a fully remote digital health program in managing musculoskeletal conditions among patients with and without obesity. The study found high completion rates and clinical improvements across all body mass index groups, with those with obesity showing comparable engagement and outcomes to those without obesity.

House Republicans are considering a list of potential spending cuts totaling $5.7 trillion, meant to support President-elect Donald Trump's initiatives, which include border security and tax cuts. The proposed cuts are not a formal proposal but rather a "menu" of options for members to consider and target the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid. The cuts to Medicaid could save an estimated $2.3 trillion, lawmakers say, by implementing per capita caps for states, shifting Medicaid from an open-ended entitlement to a population-based model, and instituting work mandates.

Legislation in Virginia aims to regulate high-risk AI systems in sectors including health care. The measure would require AI developers to document technology origin and development history, making that information publicly available; create consistent definitions of terminology related to AI tech; and outline responsibilities for those that distribute and integrate AI systems. A companion bill would establish requirements for public bodies using AI.

Brita Roy of the NYU Grossman School of Medicine highlights the importance of engaging minoritized populations to address medical mistrust, emphasizing hiring community members as clinical trial coordinators. Roy also discusses a need for the incoming presidential administration to prioritize health care equity by ensuring access to basic needs, education and health care.

AI doesn't just create the need for more data, it also could help health care organizations better manage data storage. Read about data storage and AI in this new article in the Journal of AHIMA and take the corresponding quiz.