What is the purpose of the HIPAA Security Rule?
The purpose of the federally-mandated HIPAA Security Rule is to establish national standards for the protection of electronic protected health information. This goal became paramount when the need to computerize, digitize, and standardize healthcare required increased use of computer systems.
The HIPAA Security Rule requires that workforce members adhere to controls and safeguards to:
- Ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electronic protected health information
- Detect and prevent reasonably anticipated errors and threats due to malicious or criminal actions, system failure, natural disasters, and workforce (user) error. Such events could result in damage to or loss of information, corruption or loss of data integrity, interruption of University activities or compromise the privacy of University patients, employees, and its records.