Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) Practice Exam

Which of the following is an example of PHI?

1. Medical consultation notes

2. Healthcare staff schedules

3. Hospital administrative budgets

4. Public health statistics

The correct answer is: Medical consultation notes

Protected Health Information (PHI) refers specifically to individually identifiable health information that is created, received, maintained, or transmitted by a covered entity, which can include healthcare providers, health plans, and healthcare clearinghouses. An example of PHI is any information that can be used to identify a patient and relates to their health status, the provision of healthcare, or payment for healthcare services. Medical consultation notes are a clear example of PHI because they contain specific information about a patient's health condition, treatment history, and potentially identifiable details about the patient themselves. This information is sensitive and must be protected under HIPAA regulations to ensure the privacy and confidentiality of the patient's health information. In contrast, healthcare staff schedules, hospital administrative budgets, and public health statistics do not contain individually identifiable health information. Staff schedules are related to employee management and do not pertain to patient information. Administrative budgets focus on the financial aspects of the hospital without revealing patient data. Public health statistics usually present aggregated data that does not allow for identification of individual patients. Hence, these examples do not qualify as PHI under HIPAA.