Question

• Identify your chosen law or compliance standard, and provide a brief description of what it covers.
• Provide at least two workplace scenarios in which your chosen law or standard must be applied.
• In these scenarios, discuss recommendations for protecting health information.
• Explain how advance directives may apply in each scenario.

Answer 1

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) and Privacy laws involves the laws to protect the medical information, security, privacy and rights of the patients. As a part of HIPAA, Administration and Simplification Rules were designed to protect patient's confidentiality, while respecting the patient's right to privacy. Most healthcare providers that use, store, maintain, or transmit the healthcare information of the patients are required to comply with the privacy regulations of the HIPAA law.

The two workplace scenarios in which the chosen law must be applied :-

• The scenario under which the privacy of all members of the workplace should be protected and there is risk of social boycott of any member or patient if his or her health information is leaked.
• The scenario under which it is necessary to store, maintain, and transmit any information in the interest of both patients and the society.

Some recommendations under these scenarios for protecting health information are :-

• The healthcare providers should comply with the privacy regulations of the HIPAA law.
• Simplification of the handling of documentation and sensitive medical information, while protecting the confidentiality of the patient's healthcare information.
• Any electronic transmission of sensitive medical information should be secured.

​​​​​​​The advance directives may also apply in each above scenarios. HIPAA Privacy rule, HIPAA Security rule, HIPAA Enforcement rule, and HIPAA Breach Notification rule are the four rules that the healthcare providers are required to comply. HIPAA is the baseline standard, and each healthcare providers may add to it and have their own additional standards.