What are HIPAA Security Rule and Privacy Rule?
Introduction:
In
1996, the US Congress introduced the health insurance portability and
accountability act. This term is commonly known as HIPAA. The main objective of
the HIPAA
Privacy policies is to truly increase the effectiveness and efficiency
of the healthcare system in the US. Throughout the years' different rules have
been included in the HIPAA. Those rules mostly focus on protecting highly
sensitive patient information.
Different
entities are covered under the HIPAA rules. It includes healthcare,
clearinghouses, health care providers, health plans, etc. This also includes the
electronic transmission of different information. Such as referral
authorization, health claims, and coordination of benefits. Different entities
covered under HIPAA are institutions, individuals, and organizations.
The
institutions also include government agencies and research institutions. In the
year 2013, a new omnibus rule was included in HIPAA. It is based on health
information technology for the economic and clinical health act. Later the
inclusion extended to IT contractors, business associates, attorneys,
accountants, and cloud services.
HIPAA Security and Privacy Rules:
Every
HIPAA Privacy rule mostly focuses on protecting patients' medical records and other
public health information. This is the basic standard of protection that is
provided under HIPAA training.
This privacy policy is highly responsible for giving the patients rights over
their information. It helps in protecting the information by covering different
entities.
The
basic understanding of the privacy rule has the proper process for using and
disclosing public health information. There is a subset section of the security
rule according to the privacy rule. It specifically applies to electronic
public health information. The security rule mandates several factors.
1. Technical Factors:
This
particular subsection focuses on technology with different policies. This is
the process that will have collective protection from technology. It includes
having control access to electronic public health information.
·
Audit Control:
This
particular rule completely refers to the recording mechanism and examining
activities. It focuses on all the data in the electronic public health
information system.
·
Access:
This
rule clarifies as read, writing, and modification along with the communication
of the data. It includes applications files and systems. The complete control
should have an automatic log-off and unique user identification system. Most
importantly, it will also have the proper access during an emergency. Apart
from that, it will also include data encryption.
·
Authentication:
This
particular rule is mandatory for the identity verification of an individual or
entity. It is mandatory for those seeking complete access to the protected
data.
·
Integrity:
This
rule includes the procedure and policies for the complete protection of the data.
It includes the destruction and alteration of the data and any unauthorized
access.
2. Physical Factors:
This
particular rule is completely focusing on different physical measures
procedures and policies. It is only for the standard protection of electronic
information systems. It also relates buildings and equipment in both
environmental and natural understanding. It will have a complete overview of
unauthorized access to the data. Different physical safeguards standards are
listed below for better understanding.
·
Workstation Usage:
This
rule is better for different businesses using workstations. It includes
different electronic media which is being stored in that particular
environment. Any workstation device working with the patient billing might not have
other programs running in the background.
·
Workstation Security:
This
rule applies to implement the physical safeguarding of the workstations
properly. It includes unauthorized access protection for electronic public
health information. Every workstation follows different rules for protecting
and containing electronic public health information. This rule completely
focuses on protecting it from unauthorized access. As a result, the workstation
needs to be in a secure room completely inaccessible to unauthorized
individuals.
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