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625 HIPAA Privacy Training
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The HIPAA Security Rule

The Security Rule sets national standards to protect health information, whether stored or transferred in electronic form.

A nurse sitting at work station typing on a computer.
The Security Rule was established when the healthcare industry started relying more on electronic information systems to help patients.

Before HIPAA, the healthcare industry lacked widely accepted security standards for health information. As new technologies emerged, the industry transitioned from paper to electronic systems for tasks like claims payment, eligibility verification, health information sharing, and various administrative and clinical functions.

The primary goal of the Security Rule is to safeguard individuals' health information, while enabling covered entities to embrace new technologies that enhance patient care quality and efficiency. Given the diversity of the healthcare marketplace, the Rule is crafted with flexibility, allowing entities to tailor policies, procedures, and technologies based on their size, structure, and the risks to consumer data.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

1-3. What is the primary goal of the HIPAA security rule?