PHI stands for which term?

• A. Public Health Information
• B. Personal Health Information
• C. Protected Health Information
• D. Patient Health Information

Answer: (C)

PHI stands for Protected Health Information. This refers to any information about a person’s health status, the care they receive, or payments for healthcare that can be linked to that individual and is created, received, stored, or transmitted by a covered entity or business associate under HIPAA. The protection exists because PHI is private and must be safeguarded, with disclosures allowed only under proper authorization or specific exceptions. Examples include a patient’s medical records, billing statements with name and diagnosis, or test results that include identifying details. The other terms listed are not the official HIPAA term used to describe this category of data. Public Health Information, Personal Health Information, and Patient Health Information may be used colloquially, but the recognized label in HIPAA contexts is Protected Health Information.