Digital technology makes healthcare organizations more effective and efficient, reducing the potential for human error and speeding clinical communications. But it can also threaten patient privacy. Congress recognized this risk in the mid-90s — a decade before smartphones and nearly 15 years before required electronic health records (EHR) — and passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). This legislation sets national standards for patient privacy and, eventually, for healthcare data security as well.