A HIPAA authorization has which of the following characteristics:

A HIPAA authorization has which of the following characteristics:

1: Cannot be combined with any other document related to the research.

2: Uses “plain language” that the dala subject can understand, similar to the requirement for an informed consent document.

3: Cannot be revoked by the data subject:

4: Is provided at the irvestigators discretion.

Answer: 2: Uses “plain language” that the dala subject can understand, similar to the requirement for an informed consent document.

A HIPAA is another term used for authorization which is a legal document that enables an individual’s PHI to be used or disclosed in terms of particular purposes. This is one of its features which mandates that the statement shall be drafted in simple language which the data subject can understand. This resembles the concept of informed consent in research, in which subjects ought to understand what they are consenting to.

For instance instead of the following complex nomenclature which originally appears in a HIPAA authorization the following statement could be used, “we will use your medical records to determine the efficacy of a new medication for patients with diabetes.” The authorization should also point out what information will be used or disclosed, who will get this information and why. It may state: “Your name and address will be passed to the researchers for the follow-up survey purposes,” whereas it may avoid using such statements as “The data will be analyzed by stripping off the identifiers through the process of de-identification.”

This plain language requirement also increases transparency so that people will be able to freely decide how their health information will be used. It enhances the feasibility of the subject’s authorization and choice on issues of privacy and use of their data.