The set of federal requirements governing how a practice stores, transmits, and protects patient health information. Covers everything from how patient charts are secured in practice management software to how a front-desk team discusses treatment over the phone. Most practices satisfy the bulk of it through a combination of staff training, a written privacy policy, and software vendors that contractually commit to HIPAA-compliant data handling — the risk usually isn’t malicious, it’s an untrained front-desk habit or an unsecured device.
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