Which concept focuses on protecting private health information?

• A. HIPAA
• B. Confidentiality
• C. Autonomy
• D. Justice

Answer: (B)

Confidentiality is the practice of keeping a patient’s health information private and sharing it only with authorized individuals. This protects privacy, maintains trust between patients and providers, and is a fundamental obligation in healthcare. HIPAA is the legal framework that enforces privacy and security standards for protected health information, helping to ensure confidentiality in real-world practice. Autonomy focuses on a patient’s right to make their own care decisions, and justice concerns fairness in treatment. While important, neither addresses protecting private information as directly as confidentiality does.