Which legislation is specifically designed to protect the privacy of electronic health records?

Question

Options

• ASarbanes-Oxley Act
• BHealth Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
• CFederal Information Security Management Act (FISMA)
• DGeneral Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

• A
  4% (1)
• B
  88% (23)
• C
  8% (2)

Explanation

HIPAA (B) is the correct answer because it was enacted specifically to safeguard patients' medical information, including electronic health records (EHRs), by setting strict standards for how healthcare providers, insurers, and their business associates must store, transmit, and share protected health information (PHI).

Why the distractors are wrong:

• A (Sarbanes-Oxley): Targets financial record integrity and corporate accountability for publicly traded companies - not healthcare data.
• C (FISMA): Governs information security practices for U.S. federal government agencies and their systems, not private health records.
• D (GDPR): Is a broad EU data privacy regulation covering all personal data of EU residents - it's not specific to health records or U.S. healthcare systems.

Memory tip: Think of the "H" in HIPAA as standing for "Health" - it's the only option with "Health" right in its name, and it's the only law purpose-built for the healthcare industry's privacy needs.

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