What law protects patient data from inappropriate disclosure and unauthorized access?

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is the law that specifically protects patient data from inappropriate disclosure and unauthorized access. HIPAA was enacted to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and security of individual health information. It sets national standards for electronic healthcare transactions and mandates safeguards for protecting sensitive patient information, thus limiting access to authorized individuals only. This includes provisions that allow patients to have greater control over their health information and establishes penalties for non-compliance, ensuring a robust framework for data protection in the healthcare sector.

Other options mentioned, such as the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act and the Federal Privacy Act, do address various aspects of data management and patient rights, but they do not focus specifically on the privacy and security of health information in the way that HIPAA does. The Automation Development and Security Act pertains more to technology and government data security, rather than specific health information privacy.