Final answer:
Access to electronic medical records (EMR) must be protected by strict security measures except for publicly available information that is not individually identifiable, in compliance with HIPAA regulations.
Step-by-step explanation:
In order to avoid a violation of federal law concerning patient data protections, access to electronic medical records (EMR) must be protected with stringent security measures. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires organizations to implement safeguards to secure patient information. However, one exception that does not need to be protected to avoid violating federal law is:
- Publicly available information that is not individually identifiable.
This might include statistical data shared with public health agencies for surveillance purposes, which does not contain individual patient details. All other forms of patient information, especially EMRs, must be rigorously protected to ensure privacy and compliance with legal standards such as those set forth by HIPAA.