Patient privacy is a fundamental aspect of healthcare and health law. It involves the protection of extremely sensitive personal health information, or PHI, from unauthorized access or disclosure. In recent years, the increasing use of electronic health records and the rise of cybersecurity threats reflect a pattern.
This has brought the role of health law in protecting patient privacy to the forefront. In this blog, we’ll explore the different aspects of health laws that help safeguard PHI.
The Privacy Act 1988: Briefly Explained
The Privacy Act 1988 is a federal law in Australia that regulates the handling of personal information. It outlines the Australian Privacy Principles, or APPs, which include guidelines for the collection, use, and disclosure of PHI.
It requires healthcare providers to obtain patient consent before collecting and sharing their PHI. The Act also gives patients the right to access and correct their PHI if necessary.
Breach Notifications
In case of a security breach, healthcare providers must notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. Breach notifications should be swift and include all the relevant information. This includes the type of information breached, the potential harm caused, and the steps taken to mitigate the risk.
Meaningful Use
“Meaningful Use” refers to a set of standards introduced by health law in Sydney to promote the use of EHRs in healthcare. It requires healthcare providers to meet specific objectives, including the use of secure messaging and patient portals.
These tools enable patients to access their PHI securely, reducing the risk of unauthorized access or disclosure.
Legal and Financial Privacy
Healthcare providers must also protect patients’ legal and financial privacy. Legal privacy involves the confidentiality of a patient’s medical records.
Meanwhile, financial privacy concerns financial information, such as insurance and billing records. Healthcare providers must ensure that the relevant PHI is only accessible to authorized individuals and otherwise kept confidential.
Patient Portals
These are secure online platforms that enable patients to access health information, communicate with healthcare providers, and manage their health. Patient portals use encryption and other security measures to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of PHI.
They provide patients with more control over their health information, reducing the risk of unauthorized access or disclosure.
Conclusion
To summarize, the role of health law in protecting patient privacy is crucial to maintain trust in the healthcare system. Healthcare providers must ensure that they comply with these laws in order to maintain a culture of trust.