Health Information Technology & Privacy

Health information technology refers to patient information that is shared electronically. This technology will improve quality, lessen errors, lead to more efficiency in the administrative realm and provide wider access to health care service. Because electronic means are now being used to transfer patient information, standards have been set to ensure patient privacy.

What Is HIPAA?

• HIPAA stands for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. This law, passed in 1996, ensures that the privacy of a patient's health information is protected. The HIPAA privacy rule as well as the Patient Security Rule and the Patient Safety Rule are enforced by the Office for Civil Rights. HIPAA's Security Rule sets the standards for electronic transfer of patient information, and the Patient Safety Rule protects identifiable information in the event that medical information is used to improve patient safety.

Health Information Technology

• With advances in electronic transfer of patient information, health care providers are beginning to transfer patient records to electronic medical records (EMR), thus eliminating the need for paper patient charts. HIPAA provides the framework for this transfer of information, as well as the technology that allows health care professionals to electronically transfer information to a requesting patient.

Guidance

• The HIPAA website provides help with the most common questions a health care professional might have about the process. Medical records are electronically processed through a legal entity known as a Health Information Organization (HIO). An HIO oversees and governs the exchange of health-related information among organizations and is available to provide guidance with questions about health information technology.