The Individually Identifiable Health Information Privacy Standards, better known as the Privacy Rule, which took effect in April 2003 for large entities and a year later for smaller ones, were established as the first set of national standards for protecting health information. This rule was issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to meet the requirements of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). The Privacy Rule arose from the need to appropriately protect health information while still permitting its sharing to ensure quality health care and protect the health and welfare of the public. It allows for the protection of patient privacy while also enabling life-saving uses of the information. The Privacy Rule established a category of health information that a covered entity may use or disclose to third parties only in certain circumstances and under certain conditions. According to National Institute of Health Publication Number 03-5388, protected information is known as protected health information (PHI) and includes individually identifiable health information transmitted by electronic media, maintained in electronic media, or transmitted or stored in any other form or means. However, it excludes education records covered by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, as amended, 20 USC 1232g, records described in 20 USC 1232g(a)(4)(B)(iv), and employment records held by a covered entity. in its role as employer. Covered entities are organizations subject to the Privacy Rule. Three types of covered entities are 1) Health plans - which are individual or group plans that provide or pay for the cost of the medium...... middle of paper ...... and HIPAA, provides access and instant availability from a mobile Does technology endanger patient privacy? [Electronic version] Nursing Management, June 2007, 38-40 Martin, J. (2008). Who views your medical records? COPDConnection.com Retrieved November 12, 2011 from http://www.healthcentral.com/copd/c/19257/30481/commentsRobertson, L. (2008). Who views your medical records? [Electronic version] Saturday Evening Post, 280.3, 54-92, Consumer Health Complete. Protecting Personal Health Information in Research: Understanding the HIPAA Privacy Rule, NIH Publication Number 03-5388. Retrieved November 12, 2011, from http://privacyruleandresearch.nih.gov/pr_02.aspSummary of the HIPAA Privacy Rule, Office of Civil Rights Privacy Rule Summary, (2003). Retrieved November 12, 2011 from http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/hipaa/understanding/summary/privacysummary.pdf