Which of the following principles is included in the requirements of The HiTech Act?

The HiTech Act, which stands for the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, introduced several important updates to health information privacy and security regulations under HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). One of the key principles included in the HiTech Act is mandated breach notifications for compromised information. This requirement underscores the importance of transparency and timely communication with patients when their personal health information may be at risk due to a data breach.

Under this legislation, covered entities and their business associates are required to notify affected individuals, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and, in some cases, the media if there is a breach of unsecured protected health information. This is crucial in maintaining trust in the healthcare system and ensuring that patients are informed and can take appropriate actions to protect their health information.

While the other choices represent important aspects of health information security and privacy, they do not align specifically with mandates set forth by the HiTech Act in the same way that breach notifications do. For example, while patient consent for every use of health information is important, the HiTech Act does not mandate this at all times but rather focuses on breach notifications and enhanced privacy protections under specific circumstances.