Patient Portal

New Autism Health Registry Proposal

April 24, 2025

Information for Patients

A new project is being proposed to collect health information from people with autism. The goal is to help researchers and doctors better understand autism and improve care. This project would create a registry—a large database of health records from different sources.

The plan says the information might come from doctor visits, lab tests, pharmacies, insurance companies, and even fitness trackers. However, it’s not yet clear how this information would be collected, if patients would be asked for permission, or how their privacy would be protected.

At MSU Health Care, protecting your health information is one of our top priorities. We follow all federal privacy laws, including:

  • HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) – This law sets national standards to protect your medical records and other personal health information. ​
  • HITECH Act (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act) – This law promotes the adoption of electronic health records and strengthens privacy and security protections for healthcare data. ​
  • 21st Century Cures Act – This law aims to accelerate medical research and innovation, including provisions to enhance health information privacy and security.

We will continue to monitor this proposed initiative closely and ensure that any changes comply with these laws and our commitment to your privacy. You can download a brochure of this information for sharing.

 

Questions or Concerns

MSU Health Care Compliance Office

West Fee Hall

909 Wilson Road

East Lansing, MI 48824

517-432-6690

HCICompliance@msu.edu