In the ever-connected era, cloud computing is altering the way medics, nurses, and hospitals deliver quality, cost-effective services to their patients. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a law in the US published to protect the privacy of patient’s medical records and health-related information provided by/to patients, also known as PHI (Personal Health Information).
HIPAA applies to “covered entities” and “business associates” including doctors, hospitals, health-related providers, clearinghouses, and health insurance providers. HIPAA is also applied to countries, all companies which are providing services related to health or they are handling or storing patient’s health information.