In the United States, the primary regulation for data protection in healthcare is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). HIPAA sets national standards for protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electronic protected health information.
To check if your healthcare provider complies with these regulations, you can:
- Ask for their Notice of Privacy Practices: This document, which healthcare providers are required to provide, outlines how they use and protect your health information.
- Check their security measures: HIPAA requires healthcare providers to have certain security measures in place, such as ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of all electronic protected health information (e-PHI). You can ask your provider about these measures.
- Look for HIPAA training: Healthcare providers should train their workforce on HIPAA compliance. You can ask if the provider’s staff has received this training.
- Check for data breach notifications: If a healthcare provider has had a data breach, they are required to notify affected individuals, the media in some cases, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
- Verify with the Office for Civil Rights (OCR): The OCR enforces HIPAA rules. You can check with the OCR if your healthcare provider has had any violations.
- Check the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB): The NPDB is a confidential information clearinghouse that can provide information about healthcare providers.
Remember, HIPAA compliance does not guarantee compliance with all data privacy laws, especially as they can vary by state. Therefore, it’s important to also be aware of your state’s specific privacy laws.