Question

How does the Privacy Act of 1974 and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 safeguard a patient's privacy?

Answer 1

Answer:

Today there is an increase in concern about securing and maintaining patient's privacy. With the advancement in modern technologies, Electronic medical records, the patient care management system(PCMS) is used by many hospitals to store and maintain personal records of the patient that improves efficiency and allows the necessary sharing of the information between health organizations. But it causes a breach in confidentiality and security of patient's privacy. Other breaches occur with third parties like insurance companies, employers. Privacy merchants purchase information from companies, such as health insurance companies, and receive a huge amount of profit by a privacy violation.

What information needs to be protected?

The privacy act of 1974 and HIPPA of 1996 both Acts have developed to protect the privacy of the patient. It involves both the conversational discretion of health care providers and the security of medical records. It must secure any information that could be used to identify a person. The protections apply to individually identifiable information in any form, electronic or non-electronic.

How they safeguard the patient's privacy?

• Protects any individually identifiable information like name, number, address, etc. An individual has the right to seek access and request any corrections.
• It prohibits disclosure of such records without the prior consent of the individual to whom it belongs.
• Retrieving of any identifiable patient information must be registered under System of Record Notice.
• It protects the health information transmitted by health care providers who engage in certain electronic transactions, health transactions, health plans.
• The Privacy Act of 1974 offers more restrictions regarding what corporations can access outside of an individual's consent. It set rules to the degree of disclosure to insurance companies, employers, and other third parties.

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