Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) Practice Exam

What do technical safeguards primarily focus on?

1. Administrative actions and workforce management

2. Physical protection of electronic information systems

3. Information technology and access control to ePHI

4. All of the above

The correct answer is: Information technology and access control to ePHI

Technical safeguards specifically address the security and protection of electronic protected health information (ePHI) through technology. These measures include mechanisms related to access control, encryption, and secure transmission of data, ensuring that only authorized personnel can access sensitive information while protecting against unauthorized access and breaches. Access control is paramount in safeguarding ePHI, as it establishes who can view or use information systems and data. This aspect is critical to uphold the confidentiality and integrity of health information in electronic formats. Technical safeguards are also required to prevent data breaches during transmission or while stored electronically, thereby maintaining compliance with HIPAA requirements. While administrative actions and workforce management refer to policies and procedures for managing personnel and operations, and physical safeguards focus on protecting hardware and facilities where ePHI is stored, technical safeguards are specifically concentrated on the technology and access controls that secure this information. Hence, the emphasis on information technology and access control to ePHI makes this choice the most relevant and accurate among the options provided.