Answer :
Final answer:
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) primarily protects the privacy of patients' health information by setting standards for confidentiality and access. It gives patients rights over their health records and restricts unauthorized disclosures. While HIPAA supports patient protection, it does not directly shield healthcare providers from malpractice lawsuits.
Explanation:
Overview of HIPAA Protections
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), enacted in 1996, provides critical protections for patients regarding their health information. One of the primary focuses of HIPAA is to ensure the privacy of a patient's health records, requiring healthcare professionals and organizations to maintain strict confidentiality.
Key Protections under HIPAA
- Privacy of Patient's Health Information: HIPAA safeguards patient information from unauthorized disclosure. Patients have rights over their health information, including the right to access it, request corrections, and know who has seen it.
- Healthcare providers and plans must adhere to these regulations to ensure patient trust and confidentiality.
- While HIPAA does not directly protect physicians from malpractice lawsuits, it compels them to manage patient data securely, which indirectly reduces the risk of litigation related to privacy violations.
In summary, HIPAA primarily focuses on the privacy of patients' health information, ensuring that sensitive health records are protected from unauthorized access.
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