Which regulatory standard is specifically focused on the protection of electronic patient health information?

The focus of the correct answer, which is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), is to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and security of electronic patient health information. HIPAA was established to address the growing concerns over the privacy and protection of individual health data in an increasingly digital world. It sets standards for various aspects of patient health information management, including requirements for secure exchanges, access controls, and breach notifications.

Healthcare providers, insurers, and any entity that handles personal health information must comply with HIPAA regulations. This includes the implementation of safeguards to protect health data from unauthorized access and vulnerabilities. Key components of HIPAA deal directly with ensuring that electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) is secured, which contributes to patient trust and public health.

While GDPR focuses on the protection of personal data within the European Union, SOX is primarily concerned with the accuracy of financial reporting and corporate governance, and PCI DSS relates specifically to securing credit card payment systems. Each of these other regulations addresses different aspects or sectors of data protection, but none are specifically tailored to the protection of electronic patient health information like HIPAA is.