What is considered protected health information under the HIPAA Privacy Act?

Protected health information (PHI) under the HIPAA Privacy Act refers to any individually identifiable health information that is transmitted or maintained in any form, whether electronic, paper, or oral. This includes information that relates to an individual's health status, provision of healthcare, or payment for healthcare, and which can be used to identify the individual.

A cell phone number is considered protected health information because it can be linked to an individual and may facilitate the transmission of health-related data. For example, if a healthcare provider contacts a patient about their medical condition using their cell phone number, that information is protected under HIPAA.

In contrast, while an email address and staff identification number may seem like they could fall under PHI, they do not directly pertain to the individual's health information unless specifically associated with a health context. A medical imaging technique, while part of a patient’s health record, does not identify the patient itself without accompanying personal data. Thus, the cell phone number is the choice that best aligns with the definition of protected health information.