When lawmakers developed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, also… When lawmakers developed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, also called HIPAA, in 2003, they never meant to target medical research. The legislation, which sets standards for protecting patient privacy during the electronic transfer of information, was meant to make it easier for people to keep their health insurance coverage when they change jobs, according to the Associated Press.

But intentions aside, a study conducted by Pitt researchers – which was published in last week’s Journal of the American Medical Association –