Under which regulation is there a legal obligation to keep patient information confidential?

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

Answer: (B)

HIPAA establishes the legal obligation to keep patient information confidential. It sets national standards for protecting the privacy and security of protected health information (PHI). The Privacy Rule limits how PHI can be used or disclosed without patient consent, while giving patients rights to access and control their records. The Security Rule requires appropriate safeguards for electronic PHI. HIPAA applies to covered entities (such as health plans, healthcare providers, and healthcare clearinghouses) and their business associates, with penalties for violations.

Common misspellings like HIPPA aren’t the regulation. FERPA protects student education records, not general patient health information. GDPR is an EU data protection law; while it relates to health data, HIPAA is the specific US regulation governing patient confidentiality.