Final answer:
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), enacted in 1996, established national standards for the electronic exchange of Protected Health Information (PHI) to maintain patient privacy and security.
Step-by-step explanation:
The law that was established to set national standards for the electronic exchange of Protected Health Information (PHI) is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, commonly known as HIPAA. Enacted in 1996, HIPAA plays a critical role in maintaining the privacy and security of patient information.
It mandates that organizations handling health information, such as insurance companies and healthcare providers, adhere to strict protocols to safeguard confidentiality.
Furthermore, HIPAA ensures that any electronic communication of PHI is conducted in a manner that protects the patient's privacy rights. This is essential when considering the sharing of digital records among health providers to improve healthcare quality and efficiency.
HIPAA's implementation of secure electronic health records aims to strike a balance between benefiting patient care and protecting individual privacy.
In addition to HIPAA, subsequent legislation like the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) of 2008 further protects individuals against discrimination based on genetic information in health insurance and employment.
These laws collectively contribute to the evolving landscape of privacy in the digital age, as they address critical issues surrounding the use and exchange of PHI.