Under what regulation do you have the 'legal obligation to keep patient information confidential'?

• A. HIPPA
• B. HIPAA
• C. FERPA
• D. GDPR

Answer: (B)

The obligation to keep patient information confidential comes from HIPAA. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act’s Privacy Rule outlines how protected health information (PHI) can be used and disclosed, requires safeguards to protect PHI, and grants patients rights over their records. It applies to covered entities like clinicians and health plans and to business associates who handle PHI. A common pitfall is spelling it as HIPPA—the correct acronym is HIPAA. FERPA covers student education records, not health information. GDPR is a EU-wide data protection regulation, not specific to patient health information in the U.S.