Question

A regional clinic must protect patient health records. The clinic's compliance officer notes two governing documents: a national healthcare data-protection statute passed by the legislature that mandates breach notification, and the clinic's own internal document requiring staff to lock workstations when unattended. If the clinic fails to comply with the national statute, which consequence is MOST likely, and how should these two documents be classified?

Accepted Answer

The statute is a law whose violation can bring legal penalties; the internal document is a policy that carries only internal disciplinary consequences

Answer

Both documents are laws, so violating either results in government fines and criminal charges

Answer

The statute is a standard and the internal document is a regulation, both enforced by the clinic's management

Answer

Both documents are internal policies, so failure to comply is handled entirely through HR disciplinary action