Question

HIPAA recognizes three _______________________ to the definition of breach.

Answer 1

HIPAA outlines three exceptions to the definition of a breach, including unintentional acquisition by a workforce member in good faith, inadvertent disclosure between authorized personnel, and disclosures where acquired PHI is not retained. These exceptions help define the boundaries and responsibilities pertaining to data breaches in healthcare IT.

Step-by-step explanation:

HIPAA recognizes three exceptions to the definition of breach. These exceptions include:

1. An unintentional acquisition, access, or use of protected health information (PHI) by a workforce member or person acting under the authority of a covered entity or business associate, if such acquisition, access, or use was made in good faith and within the scope of authority.
2. An inadvertent disclosure of PHI by a person who is authorized to access PHI at a covered entity or business associate to another person authorized to access PHI at the same workplace, and the information received as a result is not further used or disclosed in a manner that violates the Privacy Rule.
3. A disclosure of PHI where the covered entity or business associate has a good faith belief that the unauthorized person to whom the disclosure was made would not reasonably have been able to retain such information.

These exceptions are crucial for understanding the nuances of data breach protocols and prevention strategies within the context of healthcare information technology.