Question 1

The HIPAA privacy requirements, which went into effect on April 14, 2003, limited the release of protected health information without the patient's knowledge and consent.

Accepted Answer

The HIPAA privacy rule established standards to protect individuals' medical records and other personal health information, requiring patient consent for disclosures.

Question 2

The federal Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 (HITECH Act; Leyva & Leyva, 2011), enacted February 17, 2009, is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The ARRA was enacted to stimulate various sectors of the United States. The health information technology (HIT) industry was one area where lawmakers saw an opportunity to stimulate the economy and improve the delivery of health care at the same time.

Accepted Answer

The HITECH Act was indeed part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, aimed at stimulating the economy and improving healthcare delivery through the adoption of health information technology.

Question 3

Electronic health record technology will make it easier for all providers involved in a patient's care to readily access that patient's complete and current healthcare record, thereby allowing providers to make well-informed, efficient, and effective decisions about a patient's care at the time those decisions need to be made.

Accepted Answer

Electronic health record (EHR) technology is designed to provide comprehensive and up-to-date patient information, which can be accessed by authorized healthcare providers, facilitating informed decision-making and coordinated care.

Question 4

Chronic diseases are of major concern to the United States, not only because of the impact they have on individuals, but also because of the tremendous cost associated with providing treatment for patients with these conditions. Adult-onset diabetes, for example, has reached epidemic proportions. A national health information technology infrastructure will help providers better identify those patients who are at risk for developing this disease and provide treatment strategies to avoid it.

Accepted Answer

Chronic diseases like adult-onset diabetes are a significant concern in the U.S. due to their impact on health and healthcare costs. A national health IT infrastructure can aid in identifying at-risk patients and developing preventive strategies.

Question 5

The HITECH Act has enhanced the security and privacy protections each patient has a right to expect under HIPAA.

Accepted Answer

The HITECH Act, enacted in 2009, strengthened HIPAA by promoting the adoption of electronic health records and enhancing privacy and security protections for patient information.

Question 6

The Policy Committee established by the HITECH Act is responsible for making recommendations to the coordinator about how to implement the requirements of the HITECH Act, such as the technologies to use in the infrastructure.

Accepted Answer

The Policy Committee, established by the HITECH Act, advises the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology on policies and technologies to implement the Act's requirements.

Question 7

The Standards Committee established by the HITECH Act is responsible for recommending standards by which health information is to be electronically exchanged.

Accepted Answer

The HITECH Act established the Health IT Standards Committee to recommend standards for the secure and efficient electronic exchange of health information.

Question 8

The HITECH Act made provisions to include meaningful public input in the development of a national HIT infrastructure. Both the Policy Committee and the Standards Committee established by the HITECH Act hold public meetings, and anyone interested in this process can participate.

Accepted Answer

The HITECH Act established the HIT Policy Committee and the HIT Standards Committee, which hold public meetings to ensure public input in developing health information technology infrastructure.

Question 9

The "Level Seven" in HL7's name refers to the highest level of the International Standards Organization's (ISO) communications model for Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) application level.

Accepted Answer

HL7 stands for Health Level Seven, which refers to the seventh layer (application layer) of the OSI model, where it operates to facilitate the exchange of healthcare information.

Question 10

The HITECH Act has improved the privacy and security of patient health information by applying the requirements of HIPAA directly to the business associates of covered entities. In the past, it was up to the covered entity to enter into contracts with its business associates to ensure compliance with HIPAA. Now business associates are responsible for their own compliance.

Accepted Answer

The HITECH Act extended HIPAA's requirements to business associates, making them directly liable for compliance, thus enhancing the privacy and security of patient health information.

Question 11

Existing accounting rules are enhanced under the HITECH Act, giving patients the right to access their EHR and receive an accounting of all disclosures. Before the HITECH Act, HIPAA regulations provided an exception to the accounting requirements.

Accepted Answer

The HITECH Act enhanced HIPAA by giving patients the right to access their electronic health records (EHR) and receive an accounting of disclosures, whereas previously, HIPAA had exceptions to these accounting requirements.

Question 12

The popularity of social and mobile networking applications is one indication of how new Web-based technologies are changing communication preferences.

Accepted Answer

The rise of social and mobile networking applications reflects a shift towards digital communication, indicating changing preferences influenced by new web technologies.

Question 13

A nurse is educating a patient on privacy of health information. The nurse explains that privacy is part of which federal law?

Accepted Answer

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is the federal law that provides guidelines for the privacy and security of health information.

Question 14

A patient is concerned that the medical insurance company will receive personal health information about the patient. The nurse reassures the patient that insurance companies receive information that is related to which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Insurance companies typically receive information related to treatment and payment for treatment to process claims and reimburse healthcare providers.

Question 15

A nurse is learning about the protection of patient privacy in a new electronic health record that is adopted by a healthcare system. The nurse understands that protection of patient privacy in an electronic health record is addressed by which law?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A nurse is learning about the protection...

Question 16

A healthcare facility has adopted an electronic health record system. The nurse understands that since the facility has adopted this record for meaningful use, which incentive may the facility receive?

Accepted Answer

The facility may receive financial incentives from the government for adopting and meaningfully using electronic health records as part of programs like the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.

Question 17

A nurse is interested in serving on one of the national HITECH Act committees. Which committee could the nurse serve on?

Accepted Answer

The Standards Committee is responsible for developing and maintaining the national standards for the electronic exchange of health information. Nurses are well-qualified to serve on this committee because of their expertise in patient care and their understanding of the challenges of implementing electronic health records.

Question 18

A nurse is documenting nursing care in the electronic health record. Why is this considered meaningful use?

Accepted Answer

Documenting nursing care in the electronic health record helps in communicating patient information effectively, which is a key aspect of meaningful use aimed at improving care coordination.

Question 19

A patient's electronic health record in a health system has been breached by an outside source. Which of the following is the priority action by the health system?

Accepted Answer

The priority action is to notify the patient of the breach, as required by laws such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States, which mandates that individuals be informed of any unauthorized access to their personal health information.

Question 20

A patient does not want to be identified in the healthcare facility's directory and informs the nurse. Which of the following is an appropriate response by the nurse?

Accepted Answer

Patients have the right to opt out of being included in a healthcare facility's directory to maintain their privacy.

Quiz 8: Legislative Aspects of Nursing Informatics: Hitech and Hipaa