Question

Can you explain why it’s important to protect EHR from data breaches

Both Ethical & Legal reasons

o A brief (1-2 paragraph) discussion of the importance of protecting electronic health records from data breach, including both ethical and legal reasons (worth 10 points total)

Answer 1

The main justification for protecting personal privacy is to protect the interests of individuals.

Medical records can contain some of the most intimate details about a person’s life. It can contain a patient’s physical and mental health, and can include information on social behaviours, personal relationships, and financial status

Confidentiality is particularly important to adolescents who seek health care. When adolescents perceive that health services are not confidential, they are less likely to seek care, particularly for reproductive health matters or substance abuse.

When it comes to legal reason for protecting personal privacy, HIPAA and the HITECH ACT come to picture. HIPAA is a set of provisions that provides federal protections for patient health information

According to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, the data protected by HIPAA includes:
● A patient’s past, present or future physical health.
● A patient’s past, present or future mental condition.
● The act of health care being provided to an individual.
● A patient’s past, present or future payment for health care.