The Joint Commission defines privacy as the individual's right to what?

• A. Privacy
• B. Confidentiality
• C. Security
• D. Data integrity

Answer: (A)

Privacy means the individual's right to control who can access their personal health information and how it is used. The Joint Commission emphasizes that patients should decide who may view or receive their information and under what circumstances, and that their data should be kept private unless they authorize disclosure or there is a permissible exception. This is different from confidentiality, which is the provider’s obligation to protect that information and not disclose it without permission or a required reason; security refers to the safeguards that prevent unauthorized access; and data integrity concerns the accuracy and completeness of the information. For example, a patient can authorize sharing records with a specialist, exercising their privacy rights over who sees their data.