ABSTRACT
In August 1998, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published the Security and Electronic Signature Standards; Proposed Rule (Security Rule). The Security Rule covers all healthcare information that is electronically maintained or used in electronic transmissions. It is defined by HHS as a set of requirements with implementation features that providers, plans, and clearinghouses must include in their operations to assure that electronic health information pertaining to an individual remains secure.
