What does protected health information include?
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The PHI acronym stands for protected health information, also known as HIPAA data. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) mandates that PHI in healthcare must be safeguarded. As such healthcare organizations must be aware of what is considered PHI.
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What is PHI?You might be wondering about the PHI definition. HIPAA protected health information (PHI), also known as HIPAA data, is any piece of information in an individual’s medical record that was created, used, or disclosed during the course of diagnosis or treatment that can be used to personally identify them. The meaning of PHI includes a wide variety of identifiers and different information recorded throughout the course of routine treatment and billing. Collecting PHI is a necessary component of the healthcare industry, and it needs to be attended to with the proper safeguards.  You might be wondering, what is covered under HIPAA? Below, we’ve listed 18 types of HIPAA data that qualify as HIPAA protected health information (PHI) identifiers according to guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR). Examples of PHI include:
Handling Protected Health Information?Let us help you protect PHI so you stay HIPAA compliant. × Start Protecting Your PHIFind Out More! Please Wait... Success! Something is wrong with your submission. Close What is ePHI?Electronic protected health information (ePHI) is any PHI that is created, stored, transmitted, or received electronically. The HIPAA Security Rule has specific guidelines in place that dictate the means involved in assessing ePHI. Media used to store data, including:
Means of transmitting data via wi-fi, Ethernet, modem, DSL, or cable network connections including:
PHI and HIPAAThe HIPAA Privacy Rule provides federal protections for PHI that’s held by Covered Entities (CEs) and gives patients rights over that information, as well as guidance for healthcare organizations regarding how to protect PHI. The Privacy Rule allows PHI to be disclosed as a result of patient care, but has strict guidelines in place for maintaining the integrity and security of that information while it’s being stored or otherwise processed. There are specific measures within the Rule that require comprehensive administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and security of PHI is being properly maintained. HIPAA Data Storage, Cloud Storage, and ePHIIt’s important to note that HIPAA regulation treats HIPAA data storage companies as Business Associates (BAs). The regulation accounts for the storage of physical and digital data, meaning that cloud storage services qualify as BAs even if the organization rarely, randomly, or never accesses or views the ePHI that they store. Free Exclusive HIPAA Resources Resources and news to keep you up to date with HIPAA and the complexities that surround it. Subscribe
When dealing with HIPAA data and cloud storage services, CEs and BAs must have Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) in place. A good BAA should include provisions that clearly delineate liability in the event of a HIPAA data breach, in addition to the technical, administrative, and physical safeguards that will be put in place to maintain the integrity of PHI. Compliancy Group Can HelpWhen it comes to understanding HIPAA, the Privacy and Security Rules are two of the most significant portions of regulation. Each rule requires extensive reporting, tracking, and documentation to accompany their regulatory requirements, making the task of managing PHI and an organization’s HIPAA compliance a significantly involved process. At Compliancy Group, our web-based HIPAA compliance solution, The Guard, simplifies this entire process of protecting health information. The Guard is a total compliance solution built to incorporate the full extent of federal regulation. There’s never an added cost if the regulation changes or expands. Users are notified when policies, procedures, training, and other elements of their compliance are up for review. So monitoring the ongoing status of your organization’s compliance becomes as easy to manage as logging in to The Guard. What are 4 examples of protected health information?What is protected health information (PHI)?. Patient names.. Birth dates and healthcare service dates (aside from the year). Telephone numbers.. Geographic data.. FAX numbers.. Social Security numbers.. Email addresses.. Medical record numbers.. What is not considered protected health information?What is not PHI? De-identified health information neither identifies nor provides a reasonable base to identify an individual. Health information by itself without the 18 identifiers is not considered to be PHI. For example, a dataset of vital signs by themselves do not constitute protected health information.
What type of information is considered protected health information?Protected health information (PHI), also referred to as personal health information, is the demographic information, medical histories, test and laboratory results, mental health conditions, insurance information and other data that a healthcare professional collects to identify an individual and determine appropriate ...
What are examples of protected information?Examples of FERPA-Protected Data include Student ID, transcripts (grades), exam papers, evaluations, financial aid and loan records, and directory information for students who have requested that information about them not be released as public information.
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