digital health

Legislation that would amend California’s Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (“CMIA”) is working its way through California’s Senate and passed in the Senate Health Committee earlier this week.  The proposed bill passed in the state’s Assembly back in April.  Introduced by Democratic California Assemblymember Edwin Chau, who sits on the Privacy and Consumer Protection Committee, the proposed legislation (AB 1436) expands the definition of “provider of health care.”  Under the CMIA, providers of health care are subject to various obligations, including provisions that restrict the disclosure of medical information without a prior valid authorization, subject to certain exceptions.
Continue Reading Proposed Bill Would Expand the Scope of the CMIA

On June 22, 2021, Congressional leaders Diana DeGette (D-DO) and Fred Upton (R-MI) released a bipartisan follow-up to the 2016 21st Century Cures Act.  “Cures 2.0”—a “discussion draft” at this stage—is intended to build upon the Cures Act.  The draft lays out several notable policies related to digital…
Continue Reading Reps. DeGette and Upton Release Highly-Anticipated “Cures 2.0” Draft

On February 9, 2021, the UK Government’s Department for Health and Social Care (“DHSC”) announced a review into the efficient and safe use of health data for research and analysis for the benefit of patients in the health sector (“Review”). The DHSC encourages stakeholder feedback in the context of the Review, and will be of particular interest to organisations that have, or seek to have, access to NHS patient data for research purposes.
Continue Reading UK Government Announces Review Into Use Of Health Data For Research And Analysis

The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) announced this month a proposed settlement against Flo Health, Inc. (“Flo”), the developer of popular menstrual cycle and fertility-tracking application (the “Flo App”), resolving allegations that “the company shared the health information of users with outside data analytics providers after promising that such information would be kept private.”  The proposed settlement requires Flo, among other things, to obtain review by an “independent third-party professional” of its privacy practices, obtain users’ consent before sharing their health information, alert users whose data was disclosed, and require third-parties that previously received that data to destroy it.
Continue Reading FTC Reaches Settlement with Digital Health App, Requires First Notice of Privacy Action

FDA has long recognized the significant potential of artificial intelligence- and machine learning- (AI/ML-) based software as a medical device (SaMD) to transform health care as well as the unique challenges presented by AI/ML-based software under the Agency’s traditional medical device regulatory framework.  On January 12, 2021, FDA issued the…
Continue Reading FDA Releases AI Action Plan

On January 6, 2021 the UK’s Department of Health and Social Care (“DHSC”)  published “A Guide to Good Practice for Digital and Data-Driven Health Technologies” (the “Guidance”).  The Guidance updates the DHSC’s “Code of Conduct for Data-Driven Health and Care Technologies” (the “Code”) (for further information on the Code see our earlier blog, here).

As with the Code, the Guidance is a valuable resource to help parties understand what the National Health Service (“NHS”) looks for when acquiring digital and data-driven technologies for use in health and care.Continue Reading UK’s Department of Health and Social Care Publishes Updated Guidance on Good Practice for Digital and Data-Driven Health Technologies

On September 2, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) announced a new “Health Apps” feature on the HHS.gov website.  The new website, which replaces the OCR’s Health App Developer Portal, highlights existing guidance for mobile health (“mHealth”) apps regarding the Health…
Continue Reading HHS Launches New “Health Apps” Website to Highlight HIPAA Guidance for Mobile Health Applications

On July 28, 2020, FDA announced the publication of a final guidance on Multiple Function Device Products: Policy and Considerations that outlines FDA’s evolving approach to the regulation of multiple function device products, including software.

The concept of “multiple function” products was introduced by the 21st Century Cures Act…
Continue Reading FDA Issues Final Guidance on Multiple Function Digital Health Software and Other Devices

On May 8, 2020, the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) issued a notice soliciting public comment regarding whether changes should be made to its Health Breach Notification Rule (the “Rule”).  The request for comment is part of a periodic review process “to ensure that [FTC rules] are keeping pace with changes…
Continue Reading FTC to Consider Changes to the Health Breach Notification Rule

NHSX recently published “A Buyer’s Checklist for AI in Health and Care” (Guidance) that sets out 10 key questions which will be of use to parties deploying AI solutions or conducting data driven projects (in a health and care setting or otherwise).  For example, the Guidance…
Continue Reading NHSX Publishes “Buyer’s Checklist” for AI Solutions