These standards are generally of a technical nature. Confusion about the difference between security, confidentiality and privacy is pervasive. Security consists of those measures that organizations implement to protect information and systems. It includes efforts not only to maintain the confidentiality of information but also to insure the integrity and availability of that information and the information systems used to access it. In short, security establishes how health information should be protected from inappropriate access.
Privacy refers to an individual's desire to limit the disclosure of personal information.
These standards and regulations, which apply to every practicing neurosurgeon in the United States, will also require a significant change in practice management. Neurosurgical practices will incur significant costs to implement the many changes that will be required. The paperwork burden on practices will be increased significantly and the flow of information between physicians may be impaired. Think of faxing medical records from one office to another as that is now commonly done. That will no longer be possible.