What is the HIPAA Privacy Rule?

The Privacy Rule is a critical component of HIPAA that establishes standards for the protection of patients' personal health information (PHI). Its primary goal is to strike a balance between maintaining the privacy and security of PHI and allowing for the necessary sharing of information to ensure the quality of care.

Under the Privacy Rule, healthcare providers are required to implement safeguards to protect the confidentiality of patients' PHI. This includes restrictions on the use and disclosure of such information and granting patients certain rights over their health information. The rule aims to create a framework that allows for the appropriate flow of information for healthcare purposes while safeguarding individuals' privacy.