Final answer:
When a DoD covered entity is suspected of not complying with HIPAA, a complaint should be filed with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights, not with options relating to confidentiality, integrity, or availability.
Step-by-step explanation:
If an individual believes that a Department of Defense (DoD) covered entity (CE) is not complying with HIPAA, he or she may file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights (OCR). None of the options provided in the question, which include confidentiality, integrity, and availability, represent the correct entity with whom to file such a complaint. Those terms instead relate to the principles of securing electronic Protected Health Information (e-PHI). Filing a complaint with OCR is how individuals can report non-compliance or potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
HIPAA was created to set the standard for the protection of sensitive patient health information, to ensure that personal health information is adequately protected, while allowing the flow of health information needed to provide and promote high-quality health care. HIPAA compliance requires covered entities, which include DoD health systems, to protect the privacy and security of health information.
When it comes to the balance between the need for confidentiality in health records and the potentially life-saving information that could be revealed by breaching that confidentiality, there are no easy answers. Key considerations include the costs of treatments and diagnoses, patient quality of life, and risks to individual privacy. Ethical dilemmas arise concerning patient privacy rights versus the right of sexual partners to know if they are at risk of a sexually transmitted disease. In such cases, HIPAA rules typically prioritize patient privacy unless specific exceptions apply.