What is HIPAA?
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was introduced by US Congress in 1996 to set regulatory standards for the lawful use and disclosure of electronic protected health information (ePHI). Under HIPAA regulations, healthcare providers and businesses are expected to meet a set of requirements aimed at ensuring the privacy and security of any ePHI that is created, managed, received, or transmitted.
What are the HIPAA rules?
HIPAA legislation consists of five rules. Each rule lays out different requirements for HIPAA compliance:- Privacy Rule: How, when, and under what circumstances ePHI can be used and disclosed
- Security Rule: Technical, physical, and administrative standards to safeguard the integrity of ePHI
- Omnibus Rule: Integration of HITECH’s provisions into HIPAA to strengthen protection of ePHI
- Breach Notification Rule: Terms and conditions for the notification of data breaches involving ePHI to interested parties and the public
- Enforcement Rule: Investigation and penalties applied following a data breach involving ePHI
Over the years, the requirements have been integrated and expanded in response to technological advancements in healthcare and other industries.
Are Synology systems HIPAA certified?
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) does not officially issue or recognize any form of HIPAA compliance certification. Complying with the requirements set forth by the HIPAA regulations is thus the sole responsibility of covered entities and business associates, which must ensure that the systems and services they use are configured to protect the integrity and confidentiality of all the ePHI they store or process.