The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act: practice of dentistry in the United States: privacy and confidentiality.

This paper introduces the reader to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 legislation in the context of its relationship to the Electronic Oral Health Record (EOHR). Privacy and confidentiality issues for administrative data are addressed in terms of the broader relationship of such data to the EOHR leaving the HIPAA-defined administrative transactions and security issues for the entire practice for a subsequent presentation. Educational requirements are presented that aid the dentist and the practice staff in understanding the broad and long-term implications of the HIPAA legislation.