HIPAA

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), signed in 1996, was designed to combat the inefficiency and privacy concerns that come with physical patient records. HIPAA has four major sections that focus on the protection of protected health information (PHI) and regulate the accessibility of sensitive information. HIPAA also has two rules created to ensure participation: The Privacy Rule and The Security Rule. The Privacy Rule protects physical and oral PHI and outlines who can access the information and under which circumstances the information can be used without the patient’s consent. The Security Rule focuses the regulation on the electronic PHI subset of The Privacy Rule. HIPAA helped to protect PHI and regulated portability, however, questions over its efficiency arise when public misunderstandings and facility complaints are considered. We believe that HIPAA should apply heavier emphasis on data encryption and implement a rule detailing violations and the consequent penalties. Acknowledging HIPAA’s effort to regulate privacy and accessibility, we want to install a new system in the IMSA Nurse’s Office. The system will act as a platform for appointment bookings, after-visit reports, and virtual messaging in order to increase the convenience, versatility, and appreciation of the nurse’s office