{"id":8731,"date":"2016-01-11T11:08:56","date_gmt":"2016-01-11T16:08:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.healthit.gov\/buzz-blog\/?p=8731"},"modified":"2026-01-06T16:50:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T16:50:15","slug":"your-rights-to-access-and-transmit-your-health-information","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthit.gov\/blog\/consumer\/your-rights-to-access-and-transmit-your-health-information\/","title":{"rendered":"When and Where You Need It Most: Your Rights to Access and Transmit Your Health Information"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In order to effectively manage their health, individuals need to be able to access and use their health information when, where, and how they want, including sending it to the people and tools helping them become or stay healthy \u2013 neighbors, friends, relatives, health care providers who are treating or consulting with the individual, or even third-party software tools used for self-management. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) governs the privacy of individuals\u2019 protected health information (PHI) and when and how that information can be shared. HIPAA also governs security protections for certain health information and establishes an array of individual rights with respect to that information. For example, HIPAA has long required that individuals be given copies of their health information referred to as the \u201cright to access\u201d or be able to direct that third parties of their choosing receive copies. The specific regulation is 45 CFR 164.524, and can be found in the HIPAA Privacy Rule<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights, the entity responsible for interpreting and enforcing HIPAA, published an important set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)<\/a> clarifying how an individual\u2019s right to access their individual health information operates, including key points related to electronic health information sharing. The clarifications made by this guidance will help ensure that all Americans have access to their health information, in the form and format requested, when and where they need it most\u2014a fundamental component of a high quality, person-centered health system as reflected in the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT\u2019s (ONC\u2019s) recently released Connecting Health and Care for the Nation: A Shared Nationwide Interoperability Roadmap version 1.0 (Roadmap)<\/a>. The Roadmap, developed with input from the private sector and consumers, champions access to one\u2019s health information as a critical underpinning of a vibrant, learning health system where individuals are at the center of their care and where providers can seamlessly and securely access and use health information from different sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Specifically, in their FAQs<\/a> on HIPAA privacy rights, the Office for Civil Rights has made clear that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n