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

Who maintains the breach notification list?

1. The healthcare organization

2. Office of Inspector General

3. Department of Health and Human Services

4. National Institutes of Health

The correct answer is: Department of Health and Human Services

The correct choice, which identifies the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as the entity responsible for maintaining the breach notification list, is rooted in the regulatory framework established by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Under HIPAA, certain breaches of unsecured protected health information (PHI) must be reported to HHS, which then is tasked with compiling these reports into a publicly accessible breach notification list. This transparency helps to ensure that affected individuals and the public are informed about data breaches that may impact their health information, thereby promoting accountability within healthcare organizations. By maintaining this list, HHS not only provides a central repository for breach reports but also supports ongoing monitoring and evaluation of privacy practices across the healthcare sector. In this context, the roles of the healthcare organization, the Office of Inspector General, and the National Institutes of Health differ significantly from that of HHS, as these entities have separate functions regarding oversight, regulation, and research, rather than managing breach notifications.