Jonah Patel
Protected health information (PHI) is any information in the medical record or designated record set that can be used to identify an individual. This information is protected under HIPAA if it is created, received, maintained, or transmitted by a 'covered entity' or 'business associate'. However, there is no definitive list of what is considered protected health information under HIPAA. This is because there are times when a covered entity might not maintain identifying information with health, treatment, or payment information.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Information in the medical record or designated record set | Any information that can be used to identify an individual |
| Health, treatment or payment information | Any identifiers maintained with this information |
| Individually identifiable health information | Information that identifies or could be used to identify the individual who is the subject of the health information or the individual's family, employer, or members of their household |
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What You'll Learn
- Health, treatment, or payment information
- Information that can be used to identify an individual
- Information created, received, maintained, or transmitted by a 'covered entity' or 'business associate'
- Information that identifies or could be used to identify an individual's family, employer, or members of their household
- Health information relating to an employee's absence from work
Health, treatment, or payment information
Protected Health Information (PHI) is any information in the medical record or designated record set that can be used to identify an individual. This information must have been created, used, or disclosed in the course of providing a health care service such as diagnosis or treatment.
PHI is considered health, treatment, or payment information, and any identifiers maintained with this information, if it is created, received, maintained, or transmitted by a "covered entity" or by a "business associate". This includes health care providers, health plans, employers (in the role of an administrator of a self-insured health plan), and health care clearinghouses.
PHI can relate to the past, present, or future physical or mental health or condition of an individual, the provision of health care to an individual, or the past, present, or future payment for the provision of health care.
It's important to note that there is no definitive list of what is considered PHI under HIPAA, as there are times when a covered entity might not maintain identifying information with health, treatment, or payment data.
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Information that can be used to identify an individual
Protected health information (PHI) is any information in the medical record or designated record set that can be used to identify an individual. This includes information that was created, used, or disclosed in the course of providing a health care service such as diagnosis or treatment.
PHI is considered identifiable if it contains any of the following:
- Name
- Address (including email, postal address, and IP address)
- Date of birth
- Social Security number
- Medical record number
- Health plan beneficiary number
- Account number
- Certificate/licence number
- Vehicle registration number
- Device identifiers and serial numbers
- Web URLs
- Biometric identifiers (e.g. fingerprints, voiceprints, retina and iris scans)
- Full-face photos and comparable images
- Any other unique identifying number, characteristic, or code
PHI is protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which applies to research that uses, creates, or discloses PHI that enters the medical record or is used for healthcare services, such as treatment, payment, or operations. For example, PHI is used in studies involving the review of existing medical records for research information, such as retrospective chart reviews.
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Information created, received, maintained, or transmitted by a 'covered entity' or 'business associate'
Protected Health Information (PHI) is any information in a medical record or designated record set that can be used to identify an individual. This information must have been created, used, or disclosed in the course of providing a health care service such as diagnosis or treatment.
PHI is considered protected under HIPAA if it is created, received, maintained, or transmitted by a "covered entity" or "business associate". A covered entity can include a health care provider, health plan, public health authority, employer, life insurer, school or university, or health care clearinghouse. This means that any information relating to the past, present, or future physical or mental health or condition of an individual, the provision of health care to an individual, or the past, present, or future payment for the provision of health care is considered PHI when maintained or transmitted by a covered entity.
However, it is important to note that there is no definitive list of what is considered PHI under HIPAA. This is because there are times when a covered entity might not maintain identifying information with health, treatment, or payment information. For example, PHI excludes health information maintained in students' educational records (protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) and health information maintained by a covered entity in its role as an employer (e.g. health information relating to an employee's absence from work).
Additionally, researchers may access and use PHI when necessary to conduct research, as long as it is used for healthcare services such as treatment, payment, or operations. This includes studies involving the review of existing medical records for research information, such as retrospective chart reviews.
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Information that identifies or could be used to identify an individual's family, employer, or members of their household
Protected Health Information (PHI) is any information in a medical record or designated record set that can be used to identify an individual. This includes information that identifies or could be used to identify an individual's family, employer, or members of their household.
PHI is created, used, or disclosed in the course of providing a health care service, such as diagnosis or treatment. It is considered protected under HIPAA if the information is created, received, maintained, or transmitted by a "covered entity" or a "business associate".
The definition of individually identifiable health information applies to health care providers, health plans, employers (in the role of an administrator of a self-insured health plan), and health care clearinghouses. It relates to information that identifies or could be used to identify the individual who is the subject of the health information or their family, employer, or household members.
PHI excludes health information maintained in students' educational records and health information maintained by a covered entity in its role as an employer.
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Health information relating to an employee's absence from work
Protected health information (PHI) is any information in the medical record or designated record set that can be used to identify an individual and that was created, used, or disclosed in the course of providing a health care service such as diagnosis or treatment.
Employers have a responsibility to maintain the confidentiality of their employees' health information. This means that employers should only access and use employee health information when necessary for legitimate business purposes, such as processing sick leave requests or accommodating an employee's health needs in the workplace.
Employees have a right to privacy and control over their health information. They should be informed about how their health information will be used and have the opportunity to provide consent for any disclosure or use of their information beyond what is necessary for their treatment or payment.
It is important to note that there may be exceptions to the protection of health information relating to an employee's absence from work. For example, if the employee's health condition poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others in the workplace, the employer may have a legal obligation to disclose this information to protect the health and safety of their employees.
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Frequently asked questions
Protected health information (PHI) is any information in the medical record or designated record set that can be used to identify an individual and that was created, used, or disclosed in the course of providing a health care service such as diagnosis or treatment.
HIPAA regulations allow researchers to access and use PHI when necessary to conduct research. However, HIPAA applies only to research that uses, creates, or discloses PHI that enters the medical record or is used for healthcare services, such as treatment, payment, or operations.
The definition of individually identifiable health information applies to health care providers, health plans, employers (in the role of an administrator of a self-insured health plan), and health care clearinghouses. It relates to information that identifies or could be used to identify the individual who is the subject of the health information or the individual's family, employer, or members of their household.
