Third, to address patient privacy rights, the report has recommended that patients can have access and other rights regarding their records, and be dealt with through a code of fair health information practices. To accommodate patient expectations of privacy, the committee recommended that patients have certain legally assured rights to recover damages and force compliance if health care information is misused, abused, or improperly released to unauthorized parties.

Fourth, to address privacy—the issue of access to personal information—the committee has made recommendations concerning who should and should not have access to person-identified information and under what circumstances.