Exploring Laws, Rules, Regulations & Health App in Informatics

This report provides an overview of health informatics laws, rules, and regulations, emphasizing their role in addressing privacy and security issues related to Protected Health Information (PHI). It clarifies the distinctions between laws, rules, and regulations within the healthcare system, highlighting their individual functions in safeguarding sensitive patient data. Furthermore, the report includes a review of the 'My Diet Coach-Pro' health app, detailing its features, benefits, and personal evaluation of its effectiveness in promoting healthy habits and weight loss. The app's functionalities, such as calorie tracking, diet planning, and motivational tools, are discussed, providing a comprehensive assessment of its utility in supporting individual health goals.

Running head: PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION 1
Protected Health Information
Name
Institution

PROTECTED HEALTH INFORMATION 2
Protected Health Information
Differences between Laws, Rules, and Regulations
Health informatics laws can be defined as evolving and complex legal principles that
handle issues related to information technology in the field of healthcare. Health informatics
laws also deal with the circumstances that involve the sharing of data and records with other
fields that support patient care (Appari & Johnson, 2010). This law addresses operational and
ethical issues in addition to the issue of privacy that originates from the use of media,
information and electronic tools in healthcare delivery (Thompson et al., 2011). Additionally, it
recognizes the significance played by interoperability in the fast-evolving legal domain.
Regulations are standards that are adopted by the administrative bodies of the healthcare
system. These standards are used to regulate how the laws are enforced. The regulations are
always published so that the all members of the healthcare system are made aware of what is
legal and what is illegal (Appari & Johnson, 2010). Without the regulations, the administrative
bodies are powerless in enforcing laws. The regulations ensure that sensitive personal
information about patients that may be vulnerable to the negligence and errors of the employees
are protected thus ensuring the privacy and security of PHI.
Rules, on the other hand, are a set of principles that govern the conducts and procedure
within the healthcare system. Rules are sometimes considered to be regulations but the two have
distinct meanings. The rules govern and control the conduct of employees within the healthcare
organization thus ensuring that negligence in handling sensitive patient information is avoided
(Thompson et al., 2011). In doing so, the privacy and security of protected health information are
safeguarded.

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Health App
My Diet Coach-Pro
I use My Diet Coach-Pro app to track the number of calories that I consume and the
amount burned. Additionally, I use it to track my daily water and food intake. Furthermore, I can
set reminders to help with my diets and it also has a panic button that helps me every time I
struggle with my cravings. It has helped me to exercise better and lose weight thus developing a
healthy body.
This health app has several benefits that include the following. Firstly, it helps the user to
stay on track because it has a user-friendly diet planner, a calorie counter, an exercise and meal
journal challenges tracker, custom reminders, BMR calculator and BMI calculator. Secondly, it
has motivational photos aid, virtual tips and rewards and goal reminder that motivate the user.
Additionally, the app has reminders and tips for weight-related challenges thus helping an
individual to easily overcome difficulties of weight loss ("My Diet Coach - Pro 4.3.6 Apk -
Apkmos.com", 2018). Furthermore, it enables the user to record and view the progress they have
made in losing weight through the Pro weight chart. Finally, it is very helpful since it helps the
user to handle their food cravings by using the panic button that is also available in the app.
I think that this is one of the best mobile dieting apps I have ever possessed. It is packed
with some helpful features, a clear evidence that the developers thought out properly to come up
with it (Darby, Strum, Holmes & Gatwood, 2016). The diet diary and calorie counter are also
easy to use making this app stand out among the other available health apps.

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References
Appari, A., & Johnson, M. E. (2010). Information security and privacy in healthcare: current
state of research. International journal of Internet and enterprise management, 6(4), 279-
314.
Darby, A., Strum, M. W., Holmes, E., & Gatwood, J. (2016). A review of nutritional tracking
mobile applications for diabetes patient use. Diabetes technology & therapeutics, 18(3),
200-212.
My Diet Coach - Pro 4.3.6 Apk - Apkmos.com. (2018). Apkmos.com. Retrieved 13 April 2018,
from https://apkmos.com/my-diet-coach-pro-4-3-6-apk/
Thompson, L. A., Black, E., Duff, W. P., Black, N. P., Saliba, H., & Dawson, K. (2011).
Protected health information on social networking sites: ethical and legal
considerations. Journal of medical Internet research, 13(1).