The Privacy Rule protects all “individually identifiable health information” held or transmitted by a covered entity or its business associate, in any form or media, whether electronic, paper, or oral. The Privacy Rule calls this information “protected health information (PHI).”
Is PHI private or confidential?
Although PHI is the more commonly used acronym in HIPAA, both PHI and IIHI are protected by the Privacy and Security Rules because they mean exactly the same thing.
Is PHI protected health information?
PHI stands for Protected Health Information. The HIPAA Privacy Rule provides federal protections for personal health information held by covered entities and gives patients an array of rights with respect to that information.
Is disclosing PHI allowed?
The Privacy Rule permits use and disclosure of protected health information, without an individual’s authorization or permission, for public interest purposes, and for benefit activity purposes. PHI may be disclosed: When Required by Law.
Who protects PHI?
With certain exceptions, the Privacy Rule protects a certain type of individually identifiable health information, created or maintained by covered entities and their business associates acting for the covered entity. This information is known as “protected health information” or PHI.
Is patient name alone considered PHI?
For example, patient name or email alone can be considered PHI if it is in any way associated with a health condition or treatment—such as in a marketing email coming from your practice advertising a specific treatment to a group of individuals who were selected to receive the email based on their medical history.
Can you talk about a patient without saying their name?
HIPAA violation: yes. However, even without mentioning names one must keep in mind if a patient can identify themselves in what you write about this may be a violation of HIPAA. HIPAA violation: potentially yes if someone can identify it is them and prove it.
What falls under protected health information?
Protected health information includes all individually identifiable health information, including demographic data, medical histories, test results, insurance information, and other information used to identify a patient or provide healthcare services or healthcare coverage.
When can you use or disclose protected health information?
Covered entities may disclose protected health information that they believe is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to a person or the public, when such disclosure is made to someone they believe can prevent or lessen the threat (including the target of the threat).
When can you disclose PHI without consent?
There are a few scenarios where you can disclose PHI without patient consent: coroner’s investigations, court litigation, reporting communicable diseases to a public health department, and reporting gunshot and knife wounds.
Who can access PHI under Hipaa?
With limited exceptions, the HIPAA Privacy Rule gives individuals the right to access, upon request, the medical and health information (protected health information or PHI) about them in one or more designated record sets maintained by or for the individuals’ health care providers and health plans (HIPAA covered …