Certified Healthcare Technology Specialist (CHTS) Process Workflow & Information Management Redesign Practice Exam

Which of the following statements regarding HITECH is true?

1. It allows unrestricted sharing of patient information for marketing.

2. It provides guidelines for healthcare organizations on the use of technology.

3. It encourages the adoption of electronic records while protecting privacy.

4. It eliminates all previous privacy regulations under HIPAA.

The correct answer is: It encourages the adoption of electronic records while protecting privacy.

The statement that encourages the adoption of electronic records while protecting privacy accurately reflects a key objective of the HITECH Act. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, enacted as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, aims to promote the meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs) to improve patient care and healthcare efficiency. Importantly, while it emphasizes the transition to electronic health records, it also enhances safeguards for patient information, thereby maintaining the integrity of privacy protections originally established under HIPAA. By providing financial incentives for EHR adoption and imposing stricter penalties for breaches of health information, HITECH ensures that privacy concerns remain a priority in the digital transformation of healthcare. This balance between facilitating the use of innovative technology and ensuring patient privacy is central to the intent of the legislation. In contrast, other statements present inaccuracies about HITECH's provisions. For example, the first statement about unrestricted sharing of patient information for marketing contradicts the intent of the law, which was designed to strengthen privacy protections. The second statement lacks specificity since HITECH mainly targets the adoption of technology rather than providing broad guidelines for all technologies in healthcare. Lastly, the claim that HITECH eliminates all previous privacy regulations under