What constitutes Personal Health Information (PHI)?

Personal Health Information (PHI) is defined as individually identifiable health information that can be used to identify a specific individual. This includes a wide range of data related to an individual's physical or mental health, healthcare services provided to the individual, or payment for healthcare services. The key aspect of PHI is that it must contain identifiers that make it possible to determine the identity of the individual to whom the information pertains.

For example, if a health record includes a person's name, address, or Social Security number along with health information, it is considered PHI because individuals can be directly identified from that information. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulates the use and disclosure of PHI to safeguard individuals' privacy.

The other options do not meet the definition of PHI. General health statistics or information available to the public lack specific identifiers and do not pertain to individual patients. Records held solely by health insurance companies are not comprehensive enough to define PHI, as PHI can be held by many types of entities beyond just insurance companies.