Outcome 6.2 Study Notes: Protecting Health Information Through Law, Ethics, and Security Controls

Legal System

The structure used by a society to create, interpret, and enforce rules.

Statutes

Laws passed by Congress or a state legislature.

Regulations

Laws issued by agencies under authority granted by statutes.

Case Law

Laws derived from judicial decisions or court rulings.

Criminal Law

Law under which the government prosecutes individuals for illegal activities.

Civil Law

Law that governs relationships between individuals, typically involving private parties.

Administrative Law

Laws and regulations created by administrative agencies.

Trial Courts

Courts where facts are determined, witnesses testify, and evidence is introduced.

Appellate Courts

Courts that review legal errors from lower courts without retrying facts.

Plaintiff

The person or party bringing a civil lawsuit.

Defendant

The person or party accused in a lawsuit.

Negligence

A civil claim based on careless behavior that causes harm.

Medical Malpractice

Negligence by a healthcare professional that involves a failure to meet the standard of care.

Duty

A responsibility that exists in a nurse-patient relationship.

Breach

A failure to meet the established standard of care.

Causation

The breach of duty that directly causes an injury.

Damages

Actual harm that occurred due to negligence.

Discovery

The formal pre-trial process where parties obtain evidence from each other.

Audit Trails

Records of user activities in information systems, showing who accessed what and when.

Confidential Information

Information that must be protected from unauthorized access.

Non-Confidential Information

Information that does not identify an individual patient or is approved for release.

Personal Health Information (PHI)

Individually identifiable health information held or transmitted by covered healthcare entities.

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

A system that restricts access to information based on the user's role.

Minimum Necessary Principle

A compliance principle stating only necessary information should be accessed or disclosed.

Administrative Safeguards

Controls that shape behavior and reduce risk in managing health information.

Physical Safeguards

Controls that protect the physical environment where information is stored or accessed.

Technical Safeguards

System-based controls that protect health information through technology.

Data Integrity

The accuracy and unaltered state of data.

Data Validity

Ensuring that the data values make sense and meet established rules.