PRESS RELEASE

Boston, MA, April 29, 2003 – Premier Press, a division of Course Technology, the worldwide leader in computer education products and services and part of the Thomson Corporation (TSX: TOC; NYSE: TOC), the world’s largest provider of corporate and professional learning solutions, has released its newest title for the healthcare industry with respect to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).  Available now in bookstores, Getting Started with HIPAA, written by Uday O. Ali Pabrai, the creator of HIPAA Academy (www.HIPAAAcademy.Net), is a practical and solution-oriented text.  It will prove beneficial to any professional or practitioner in healthcare, information technology, or law.  Pabrai’s HIPAA knowledge, hands-on experience, and the partnership between Thomson and HIPAA Academy, a HIPAA skills and consulting solutions delivery organization, all distinguish this book from other HIPAA offerings.

“Skilled professionals are urgently required to lead and assist organizations to plan and prepare HIPAA compliance-related solutions.  These professionals must understand the fine details of the core requirements of the legislation to develop custom-tailored compliance solutions that meet the business objectives of their enterprise.  HIPAA knowledge and skill development is a critical, initial step," says Pabrai.

HIPAA requires the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to develop standards that ensure the security, confidentiality, and integrity of patient healthcare information.  HIPAA touches every aspect of the healthcare industry, including individuals enrolled in group healthcare plans and any organization that accesses, stores, maintains, or transmits patient-identifiable information, as well as healthcare clearinghouses.  The goal of HIPAA is to protect the security and confidentiality of electronic patient health information and to cut the cost of print-based record transactions. Organizations must meet the requirements established by the government within certain deadlines.  Otherwise, they face severe penalties for failing to comply with the HIPAA guidelines.

In July of 2002, Thomson and HIPAA Academy announced their partnership to develop comprehensive, blended learning solutions with respect to HIPAA.  In doing so, Thomson leveraged the expertise of its subsidiaries Course Technology, NETg, and Prometric to address the training gap faced by more than 10 million healthcare professionals in a $1.4 trillion healthcare industry.  Thomson and HIPAA Academy provide HIPAA courseware and certification programs to help organizations understand and implement the HIPAA legislation in time to prevent huge financial and administrative burdens.  Premier Press is now expanding the benefits of this partnership into the retail market.

Uday O. Ali Pabrai is a highly sought-after HIPAA consultant whose clients have included the Department of Human Resources, the State of Oregon, the State of Iowa, Marsh, Wells Fargo, and many others.  Author of Beyond HIPAA Security, he is an accomplished expert in the areas of HIPAA, e-business, enterprise security policy, and architecture. Pabrai created the industry leading CIW program and is the co-creator of the highly successful Security Certified Program (Security Certified.Net).  He has delivered HIPAA Privacy and Security Executive Briefs as well as the Certified HIPAA Professional (CHP) and the Certified HIPAA Security Specialist (CHSS) programs nationally to various groups including hospitals, pharmacies, legal professionals, physicians, office administrators, clinicians, and HIPAA compliance officers, as well as IT professionals.  At ecfirst.com, he developed HIPAAShield, a HIPAA security-related implementation methodology.  Pabrai is the author of numerous books and articles on HIPAA, privacy, e-business, and security and business threats.

On April 30, from 3:00 to 4:00 pm EST, join HIPAA Academy and NETg for a solution-oriented webinar session on the Final Security Rule delivered by author and industry expert, Uday O. Ali Pabrai.  The Final Security Rule introduces both required and addressable implementation specifications in the areas of Administrative, Physical, and Technical Safeguards. To register, visit http://www.ecfirst.com/Academy/.

Available now in bookstores everywhere: Getting Started with HIPAA, ISBN: 1-59200-054-1, 608 pages, US$49.99/CAN$77.95/UK£36.99 http://www.muskalipman.com/.

About The Thomson Corporation and Course Technology
The Thomson Corporation, www.thomson.com, with 2002 revenues of $7.8 billion, is a global leader in providing integrated information solutions to business and professional customers.  Thomson provides value-added information, software tools, and applications to more than 20 million users in the fields of law, tax, accounting, financial services, higher education, reference information, corporate training and assessment, scientific research, and healthcare.  The Corporation's common shares are listed on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges (TSX: TOC; NYSE: TOC).  Its learning businesses and brands serve the needs of individuals, learning institutions, corporations, and government agencies with products and services for both traditional and distributed learning.
 

As part of the Thomson Corporation, Course Technology (www.course.com) is the worldwide leader in computing education, offering more than 1,600 print and innovative technology-based products for business and technology training.