HIPAA
Pronunciation: HIP-ah
Also written as: HIPAA — Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
Federal law governing the privacy and security of protected health information in healthcare settings.
Full Definition
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a 1996 federal law that establishes national standards for protecting patient health information privacy and security. In psychiatric therapy, HIPAA regulations are particularly important due to the sensitive nature of mental health information. The law governs how therapy notes, treatment records, and patient communications can be shared, stored, and accessed, with specific protections for psychotherapy notes.
Usage
Usage note: Always capitalized as acronym. Pronunciation is 'HIP-ah,' not spelled out letter by letter.
In Context
- "The therapist obtained written HIPAA authorization before discussing the case with family members." — Clinical documentation
- "All staff completed annual HIPAA training on protecting patient confidentiality." — Compliance documentation