A group of nurses on a clinical unit are planning to research the incidence of falls among clients following joint replacement surgery. Which of the following actions should the nurses take to ensure the study complies with the HIPAA Privacy Rule?

### The nurses should submit their proposal to the institutional review board for review and describe how they will de-identify client information.

## Step1: Understanding the HIPAA Privacy Rule### The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule is a federal law that provides standards to protect individuals' medical records and other personal health information. It applies to health plans, health care clearinghouses, and those health care providers that conduct certain health care transactions electronically. The Privacy Rule does not require a signed consent from the patient for the use of their health information for research purposes. However, it does require that researchers de-identify the information to protect the privacy of the individuals.## Step2: De-identifying Client Information### De-identification is the process of removing or obscuring any personal identifiers from the client's information. This process ensures that the information cannot be used to identify the individual. The researchers should describe how they will de-identify the client information in their proposal.## Step3: Submitting the Proposal to the Institutional Review Board### The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is a type of body that has been formally designated to approve, monitor, and review biomedical and behavioral research involving humans. It is the responsibility of the IRB to ensure that the research complies with the HIPAA Privacy Rule. Therefore, the nurses should submit their proposal to the IRB for review.