Client confidentiality is mandated by what?

Client confidentiality in the context of health care and speech therapy is primarily mandated by HIPAA laws. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) establishes a national standard for the protection of sensitive patient health information. It requires health care providers, including speech therapists, to protect the privacy of their clients' medical records and other personal health information.

HIPAA not only safeguards the confidentiality of this information but also gives patients rights over their own health information, including the right to access their records and request corrections. This legislation is critical in ensuring that clients can trust that their sensitive information will be handled with the utmost care and confidentiality.

While other laws and regulations, such as FERPA, deal with confidentiality in educational settings, and ADA addresses accessibility for individuals with disabilities, HIPAA is specifically designed to protect the privacy of health information across all health care sectors, including that of speech therapy. State laws may also provide additional protections, but HIPAA establishes the fundamental federal framework that all covered entities must follow.