An article in Health Data Management magazine (“ONC Needs to Improve Risk-Rating Features of New Security Tool,” April 16, 2014) discussed “the risk-rating features of a tool developed by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT to help healthcare providers in small to medium sized physician offices conduct security risk assessments (SRA).” Referencing an April 9, 2014, post by Randy Gainer on BakerHostetler’s blog, Data Privacy Monitor, the article reported that the tool needs improvement. The article quotes Gainer’s assessment that "the tool offers incomplete guidance regarding why the risks associated with each requirement should fall into the 'Low' category as opposed to the 'Medium' or 'High' category. Users are left to guess whether failing to comply with a requirement would have a low, medium, or high likelihood of affecting the confidentiality, integrity, or availability ePHI, and whether the impact of such an effect would be 'Low,' 'Medium,' or 'High.'"
Read the article.