Ahead of the weekend, MAW reported that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is launching a new web-based tool for mHealth app developers to assist in their important work and offer guidance in the process.
“It’s specifically designed to help developers understand what federal laws and regulations might apply to their apps,” MAW reports.
The FTC offering was created in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), Office for Civil Rights (OCR), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“The guidance tool asks developers a series of high-level questions about the nature of their app, including about its function, the data it collects, and the services it provides to users,” according to an earlier FTC announcement. “Based on the developer’s answers to those questions, the guidance will point the app developer toward detailed information about certain federal laws that might apply to the app.”
Some applicable laws include the FTC Act, the FTC’s Health Breach Notification Rule, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act (FD&C Act).
