What term describes the assurance that only authorized parties can access specific information?

The term that best describes the assurance that only authorized parties can access specific information is confidentiality. Confidentiality refers to the ethical and legal duty to protect private information from unauthorized access or disclosure. This principle is especially critical in healthcare settings, where patient information must be safeguarded to build trust and comply with laws such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

In the context of medical practices, maintaining confidentiality involves implementing policies and procedures to restrict data access to only individuals who have a legitimate need to know, thus ensuring that sensitive information is not disclosed to unauthorized individuals. This is vital for protecting patient rights and maintaining their personal information's integrity.

While privacy and security are related concepts, privacy pertains more broadly to an individual's right to control their personal information, and security focuses on the measures taken to protect information systems against unauthorized access and attacks. Accountability is often associated with ensuring that individuals are held responsible for their actions regarding information management but does not directly define the access control of information. Hence, confidentiality is the most accurate term in this context.