The Office for Civil Rights enforces several rules under HIPAA including the Privacy Rule, Security Rule, and Breach Notification Rule. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the US healthcare system through standards for electronic health information exchange and rules regarding health insurance coverage continuity and fraud prevention. HIPAA places limits on sharing confidential health information, establishes patient rights over their data, and implements safeguards for electronic protected health information.

1. The Office for Civil Rights enforces the HIPAA Privacy Rule, which protects the
privacy of individually identifiable health information; the HIPAA Security Rule,
which sets national standards for the security of electronic protected health
information; the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule, which requires covered entities
and business associates to provide notification following a breach of unsecured
protected health information; and the confidentiality provisions of the Patient
Safety Rule, which protect identifiable information being used to analyze patient
safety events and improve patient safety (United, 2013).
What is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act?
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 is set of
statutes designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the US health care
system:
• Title I: Title I of HIPAA provides rules to "improve the portability and
continuity of health insurance coverage" for workers when they change employers.
• Title II: Title II of HIPAA provides rules for controlling health care fraud and
abuse, and includes an "Administrative Simplification" section that sets standards
for enabling the electronic exchange of health information (University, 2013).
What does HIPPA do?
Places limits on how confidential health information can be shared with others.
Establishes patient rights to control the sharing of their health information.
Puts safeguards in place for confidential health information collected, maintained,
used, or transmitted in electronic form
What is privacy?
Refers to WHAT is protected — information about an individual and the
determination of WHO is permitted to use, disclose, or access the information
What is security?

2. Refers to HOW information is safeguarded—ensuring privacy by controlling
access to information and protecting it from inappropriate disclosure and
accidental or intentional destruction or loss (Upstate, 2011).
Patients expect privacy when they are receiving healthcare. Patients also expect
that their confidential health information will be appropriately protected.
Examples of safeguards that help to ensure confidentiality are:
Shred all paper containing confidential health information or place in closed
receptacles
When faxing, verify the fax number before sending
Close doors or privacy curtains when having discussions ofconfidential health
information
Do not leave medical records unattended or in open areas
Respect the privacy rights of employees who come here for care by affording their
information the utmost confidentiality it deserves
Keep confidential health information you hear or see to yourself
Examples of computer safeguards to secure our information include:
Protect your access by not sharing your account and/or password with others
Do not write down or post your password on computer systems
Never leaving a workstation signed on or left unattended with access to
confidential health information
Access information in computer systems when you have a need to- know the
information
Never disable or remove the virus detection software
Take measures to protect your computer passwords so that they are not misused.
Patients trust that when they share their confidential health information with
healthcare staff, it will be afforded the appropriate privacy and security protections

3. User education concerning virus protection
User education in importance of monitoring login success/failure, and how to
report discrepancies
User education in password management
Education on awareness
Reference
Sheidy, D.P. & McMahon, M.K. (2002). Hippa and training: Web based strategies
for compliance. Retrieved September 26, 2013, from
http://www.ehcca.com/presentations/HIPAA/sheidy-tue.pdf
United States Department of Health and Human Services. (2013). Health
information privacy. Retrieved September 26, 2013, from
http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/index.html
Upstate Medical Center. (2011). Protecting patient confidentiality and security.
Retrieved September 26, 2013, from
http://www.upstate.edu/forms/documents/F84037.pdf
University Information Technology Services. (2013). What is HIPPA?. Retrieved
September 26, 2013, from http://kb.iu.edu/data/ayyy.html