The United States should look to the European Union for examples of how to successfully protect the privacy of patient information, the co-author of a new report on electronic health records says.

For most organizations, the biggest barrier to cloud computing is fear - "Will my data be secure?" It's time to tackle that fear head-on, says Jeff Reich, director of the Institute of Cybersecurity at the University of Texas, San Antonio.

Pairing a single sign-on system with authentication technologies enables hospitals to provide easier access to electronic health records while ensuring only appropriate clinicians view patient information, the IT director of a rural Iowa hospital says.

Small, rural hospitals that lack the resources to conduct a thorough risk assessment should seek out grants to fund hiring outside experts to complete the task, one hospital CEO advises.

This week's top news and views: Dispute Arises Over Breach Notification; Legal Issues in Cloud Computing; Clarity Needed in Breach Notification Rule. And don't miss our audio week-in-review podcast by Howard Anderson, managing editor.

Organizations considering using the cloud computing model should carefully consider a long list of legal issues before taking the plunge, an attorney advises.

How does one maintain privacy in the cyberworld, where every transgression is embarrassingly public?

The Markle Foundation's "blue-button" concept for enabling patients to download their records from a secure website is suitable for a wide variety of healthcare organizations, says Josh Lemieux, the foundation's director of personal health technology.

Detailed patient consent recommendations that a privacy and security "tiger team" recently completed are just a starting point toward giving patients far more control over their healthcare information, the co-chair of the team acknowledges.