Setting the Standard for Privacy
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
- Patient's Bill of Rights
- Federal and State Regulations
- Accreditation Standards
- Case Law
- Professional Standards of Practice
Health care organizations are governed by a variety of standards and regulations depending on the type of health care setting. The most recent federal legislation – the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) – enacted sweeping changes by passing privacy standards that apply to most health care organizations around the country.
HIPAA has put a spotlight on privacy, however, it is not a new issue for health care – maintaining the confidentiality of patient information has always been important. Some health care settings have a patient bill of rights which guarantees confidentiality to an individual's health information. Federal and state regulations and accreditation standards (like the Joint Commission) also address confidentiality by requiring applicable organizations to have policies in place to protect the confidentiality and secure health records from loss, destruction, and unauthorized use. The courts have also played a part by setting guidelines on confidentiality and patient access to their records through case law.
Professional practice standards, such as those published by the American Health Information Management Association, outline the basic standards in protecting confidential information. Health care professionals are bound by a code of ethics that requires them to promote and protect the confidentiality and security of health information and health records.