Throughout the past decades, many acts have been passed in support of health information technology and the adaptation of such technology. Two of those acts, the HIPAA (health insurance portability and accountability) Act and the HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health) Act, focus on protecting patient health information and utilizing health information technology. Although these acts bring about many positive changes within the healthcare industry, there are some downsides regarding the implementation of these acts, as there are with many acts that are passed. Both of these acts provide security to patient health information, however, the HITECH Act contributes more to the utilization of the electronic health …show more content…
The HIPAA act is a federal law that requires the creation of national standards to protect patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent/knowledge (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022). The HITECH Act was enacted to promote the adaptation and meaningful use of health information technology (The HIPAA Journal, 2023). In regards to the HIPAA Act, some strengths of this act include allowing patients to contribute to their personal medical file, requiring providers to establish a data back-up plan, requiring protection against malicious software, requiring regular audits of the system, and increasing personal privacy in healthcare information and decision-making (Gaille, 2018). On the other hand, some weaknesses of this act include requiring providers to pay fines when violations occur, not allowing patients to sue if a violation of privacy occurs, and not requiring consent for billing (Gaile, 2018). In terms of the HITECH Act, some strengths include utilizing more robust cyber defenses and providing protection for more stakeholders (RSI Security, 2021). Some weaknesses of the HITECH Act include adding complexity and challenges to the other HIPAA rules and initiating greater compliance consequences (RSI Security, 2021). Although these acts serve to improve patient care and health information technology, there are some downsides when discussing