How does HIPAA affect public health reporting?

Other exceptions to HIPAA

HIPAA allows the legitimate use of PHI, without authorization, for the purpose of protecting the public under conditions involving law enforcement, court proceedings, worker’s compensation, and national security. These exceptions are outside the scope of this article.

Explain HIPAA to patients

The trend toward electronic medical records and the increasing public concern about privacy led to the enactment of the HIPAA privacy rule. A natural tension exists between individual rights and public protection, and the HIPAA privacy rule attempts to balance these competing concerns. For patients who are concerned about confidentiality, family physicians can explain the purpose of public health exceptions and give reassurance about how public health agencies have a good record of protecting individuals’ identity.

Correspondence
4001 North Third #415, Phoenix, AZ 85012. E-mail: dougco@u.arizona.edu.