Everyone is going electronic! And that includes the healthcare industry around the world, and with the advent of healthcare providers turning to more convenient and cost-effective ways to store and access patients' medical information, it makes sense that agencies would look to make sure this happens securely. . HIPAA is an acronym that stands for “Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act” is a privacy law implemented in the United States of America, designed to provide standards to protect patients' medical information. HIPAA was developed by the Department of Health and Human Services, whose primary role is to be the agency that safeguards the health of all Americans, regardless of economic class or race. The rules established by HIPAA provide patients not only access to their medical records, but give them a say in how they are used. HIPAA was officially introduced on April 14, 2003. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay According to HHS. Governor, the HIPAA Privacy Rule outlines boundaries around the use and release of patient records and enforces civil and even criminal penalties for individuals who violate these boundaries. HIPAA gives patients autonomy in obtaining healthcare, and in the event that their health information is misused, they have the proper guidelines to seek reimbursement. Another highlight of what HIPAA does is provide patients the right to view, keep a copy of, and even request changes to be made to their medical records. In hindsight, this Privacy Policy puts the power in the hands of patients and takes autonomy to a whole new level. HIPAA hosts its own “Security Standards” that govern the security of controlling access to patient information, monitors and can map actions on documents, and also provides regulations to ensure that staff who handle patient records are adequately trained. The implementation of HIPAA has changed the way healthcare providers view patient information and not only holds them accountable for unfair practices, but ensures that every team member understands the importance of safeguarding patient records and educates staff on the exact ways to achieve this. HIPAA training is required by law in the United States, which reduces the chances of legal action being taken against the company. It can therefore be said that HIPAA is beneficial to all stakeholders in the healthcare industry. In Jamaica, there is currently no law such as HIPAA implemented to protect data collected from patients. However, the good news is that a privacy and data protection bill, the “Act to Protect the Privacy of Certain Data and Related Matters,” was introduced in October 2017. However, for this bill to become law in Jamaica, it must successfully pass through the Senate and House of Jamaica. If passed, this law will regulate, similar to HIPAA in the United States, personal data, such as medical information. The bill contains requirements or standards for processing personal data, such as not collecting more information than necessary, the length of time the collected data should be kept, and being accurate and up-to-date. The bill covers many important points in data protection; however, as of today it is still a bill and has not been passed. Until.