HIPAA: A Guide to Patient Privacy

Privacy is an important right, especially for patients who don't need another thing to worry about. 

HIPAA (The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) was passed by Congress in 1996 to protect health insurance coverage for workers as well as ensure patient privacy. 

https://ora.georgetown.edu/irb/HIPAA

Anything on a patient's medical record or related to their insurance coverage cannot be disclosed. This includes any medical bills or descriptions of their condition. 

The protection is very inclusive. Healthcare providers are not even allowed to discuss any conversations about a patient's health or treatment. 

There is also some information secured by HIPAA that may not directly have to do with a patient's stay at the hospital. Addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and license plate numbers are all protected by HIPAA. A hospital may not give out any of these details. 

HIPAA also ensures that patients are able to access all the information they need. They may request copies of their health records as well as any notices explaining how they have been used and shared. 

When any information is needed by healthcare professionals for research, they must file papers to the IRB (Institutional Review Board). This makes sure that the rights and welfare of human subjects are safeguarded.