Where is HIPAA taking physician practices?

Several provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, or HIPAA, were intended to encourage electronic data interchange (EDI) and safeguard the security, privacy, and confidentiality of patient health information.[1] In the context of this act, security is the means by which confidentiality and privacy are insured. Confidentially defines how patient data can be protected from inappropriate access, while privacy is concerned with who should have access to the patient data. This article explores how the policies stipulated by HIPAA are shaping the practice of medicine and will likely affect your practice in the future.