Describe at least three of the seven major areas in which the HITECH Act strengthens HIPAA.

What will be an ideal response?

The act provides increased resources for enforcement and increased penalties for violations.
The act mandates that health providers cannot use patient health information without their express permission.
The sale of private health information is severely limited as the information use must be expressly authorized by the patient.
The act provides for increased transparency to patients as they are entitled to audit their electronic patient records.
In addition to current Covered Entities, the act also provides that future unanticipated entities are also covered, thereby eliminating future privacy loopholes.
The act mandates that all ePHI be encrypted either electronically or otherwise so as not to be easily intercepted.
In the event that a breach of ePHI does occur, the act requires that patients be notified in any case of unauthorized use or disclosure of their information.