GIS Regulations

A number of regulations have been enacted recently that impact the collection and display of georeferenced data.

• HIPAA - The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 defines federal privacy standards for the protection of patients' medical records and other health information.
  
  
• Protecting Personal Health Information in Research: Understanding the HIPAA Privacy Rule - a guide to the Privacy Rule from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
  
  
• Frequently Asked Questions and Answers About Cancer Reporting and the HIPAA Privacy Rule (PDF) - This document from the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR) provides answers to some common questions about HIPAA.
  
  
• Coordination of Geographic Information and Related Spatial Data Activities - Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-16 provides for improvements in coordination and use of spatial data.
  
  
• Section 508 - Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act defines accessibility requirements for designing government Web sites.
  
  
• See also: Publications on Confidentiality Regulations in Research