Confidentiality in healthcare is legally supported by which act?

Confidentiality in healthcare is primarily supported by the Privacy Act, which establishes safeguards for the personal information held by healthcare providers and other entities. This act requires that individuals' medical records and personal health information are kept private and secure, granting patients the right to access their own records and controlling how their information is shared.

The Privacy Act creates a framework that healthcare providers must follow to protect sensitive information, ensuring that patient confidentiality is respected in various healthcare settings. This legal underpinning is crucial, as it helps build trust between patients and healthcare professionals, which is essential for effective treatment and care.

The other acts listed address various aspects of healthcare but do not specifically focus on confidentiality in the same way. The Self-Determination Act primarily relates to patient autonomy regarding end-of-life decisions, the Health Care Quality Improvement Act focuses on the improvement of healthcare quality and peer reviews, and the Americans with Disabilities Act primarily deals with discrimination against individuals with disabilities. These acts are important in their own contexts but do not provide the same legal support for confidentiality in healthcare as the Privacy Act does.