NIST is a non-regulatory agency that works with many commercial sectors and government agencies to create policies and standards that will benefit technology development. One useful resource for implementing the HIPAA Security Rule is the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. It evaluates the potential risks to ePHI and outlines the cost of potential additional security measures needed.įrom this risk assessment, each covered organization can design a tailored cybersecurity plan that protects the integrity of ePHI. The risk assessment outlines the covered entity’s technical infrastructure, including any hardware and software that is used to access and transmit ePHI. This risk assessment investigates each covered entity's resources and work environment: including the size, complexity, and capabilities of the covered entity. “Given that the health care marketplace is diverse, the Security Rule is designed to be flexible and scalable so a covered entity can implement policies, procedures, and technologies that are appropriate for the entity’s particular size, organizational structure, and risks to consumers’ e-PHI.”Īs such, protecting ePHI begins with a risk assessment. “A major goal of the Security Rule is to protect the privacy of individuals’ health information while allowing covered entities to adopt new technologies to improve the quality and efficiency of patient care,” wrote the HHS. But, the Department of Health and Human Services designed the Security Rule to be flexible enough for health organizations to be able to take advantage of cloud platforms and new technologies. Put briefly, HIPAA requires covered entities to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of ePHI. Any other unique identifying number, characteristic, or code.Vehicle identifiers and serial numbers, including license plate numbers.Full face photographic images and any comparable images.Biometric identifiers, including finger and voiceprints.All elements of dates (except year) including birth date, admission date, discharge date, date of death and all ages over 89.All geographic subdivisions smaller than a State.Names (of patients, relatives, or employers).These identifiers help organizations understand exactly what makes a piece of information “identifiable” and subject to regulation. HIPAA defines PHI - and ePHI, which is essentially the same information in digital form - using a list of 18 identifiers. The IIHI has to be transmitted or maintained in some form to be protected (PHI),” explained HIPAA Trek. “This is because HIPAA does not protect all individually identifiable health information. It differs from IIHA in that all PHI is IIHA, but not all IIHA is PHI. PHI is protected under the HIPAA Privacy Rule. PHI stands for protected health information. IIHI includes not only a person’s medical information but also their demographics and details such as a patient’s past, present, or future medical condition healthcare treatment or services provided to the patient or past, present, or future payment for the provision of healthcare to a patient. IIH stands for individually identifiable health information. Understanding the difference between these terms can help you design a layered security system that optimizes your organization’s IT resources while providing sufficient protections against data breaches. HIPAA’s regulations refer to three acronyms: IIHI, PHI, and ePHI. With the rise of telehealth, covered entities need to understand the requirements for safely transmitting, storing, and using ePHI to be compliant with the Security Rule and to protect a patient’s privacy. Electronic protected health information is protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, commonly known as HIPAA.ĮPHI security is governed by the HIPAA Security Rule. EPHI stands for electronic protected health information.
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