HealthBlawg listed in ABA Journal Blawg 100
I'm pleased to announce that HealthBlawg has been named to the ABA Journal Blawg 100.  I appreciate the recognition, and the nominations from you, dear readers, that put this blawg on the list.  I do not envy the editors who had to make the tough decisions -- there are many more than 100 deserving blawgs out there.

Engage With Grace
As patients, as family members, as friends, as health care providers, we have all faced end-of-life issues at one time or another, and we will face them again.  And again.  This weekend, the "Engage With Grace" message is being broadcast virally, through a "blog rally," at a time when many people are with family and friends over the long weekend.  The point is: we all need to have the potentially uncomfortable conversation with people close to us about what kind of treatment we would want, and they would want, if incapable of making or communicating health care decisions.  (Check out coverage of last year's blog r

Health Care Social Media Legal Issues and Strategy Webinar
Today's HIPAA and Your Social Media Strategy webinar, which I presented together with Jamie Verkamp of (e)Merge, was a success.  We had a good turnout, interesting questions and engaging discussion.  Here is a version of the slide deck I used today, complete with links to other useful resources here at HealthBlawg and elsewhere on the web. Social Media In He

An ounce of prevention
Today's Boston Globe reports on a feature of the Massachusetts universal health care law that may be replicated at the national level: MassHealth -- the Massachusetts Medicaid program -- has been covering the costs for smoking cessation counseling and medications for eligible enrollees.

Son of HIPAA Breach Notification Rules and Business Associate Requirements: Who's Ready?
HIMMS Analytics surveyed about 250 hospital and business associate representatives, and came up with some figures to back up what we all knew in our hearts:  Most hospitals are gearing up for compliance with the HITECH Act / Son of HIPAA data security and breach notification requirements, but many experience data breaches -- about half of hospitals surveyed in the past year -- and business associates lag behind hospital in awareness and preparedness for compliance with new business associate requirements.Check out the full report on the H