What Is Protected Health Information?
If you are involved in healthcare, then you may have heard the term "Protected Health Information" (PHI). This term is used interchangeably with the term "personal health information" or "PII." In simple terms, it is any information that identifies a person, either electronically or physically.
Protected Health Information is important to anyone who is involved in the healthcare industry. It is the responsibility of covered entities to maintain and protect PHI in the proper manner.
PHI is any information that identifies a patient, such as their name, address, telephone number, email address, etc. PII is information that relates to a person's health, such as their medical record numbers, test results, or demographics.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) governs how health information is created, shared, and stored. Covered entities include health plans, health care clearinghouses, and health care providers. To comply with HIPAA, these organizations must implement and follow strict rules.
HIPAA is designed to ensure the privacy and integrity of patients' health information. As such, it imposes strict regulations on how and where it is stored and shared.
While the law requires that all health information be protected, there are certain types of information that are not protected. These are non-emergency, medical readings and information about deceased individuals.
However, the definition of what is protected health information depends on the specific purpose for which the information was collected. For example, if you were collecting information about your health for research, then you would not be able to identify the individual, but you could if you were to de-identify the data.
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