What aspect of health information does the Security Rule focus on?

The Security Rule specifically addresses the protection of electronically protected health information (ePHI). This regulation outlines the standards and safeguards that covered entities and their business associates must implement to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electronic health information.

The focus on ePHI indicates the Security Rule's intention to preserve patient privacy and secure sensitive information in digital formats, which have become increasingly prevalent in the healthcare environment. It mandates administrative, physical, and technical safeguards that organizations can use to protect this type of information from unauthorized access, breaches, or other security threats.

This emphasis on electronic information is necessary because the nature of healthcare has evolved with technology, necessitating specific measures to effectively manage and secure health data in electronic form, as opposed to addressing non-digital formats or operational aspects such as billing or paper records.