Which items are considered Protected Health Information (PHI)?

• A. Patient's name, address, date of birth
• B. Appointment times only
• C. Demographic limitations
• D. Prescription numbers not linked to patient

Answer: (A)

PHI covers health information that can identify the person. When personal identifiers are tied to health details, the information becomes PHI and must be protected. The example of a patient’s name, street address, and date of birth fits this perfectly: each item can identify who the health information relates to, and when linked to health data (like diagnoses, treatments, or records), it becomes PHI. The other options don’t by themselves identify a person or link to health information: appointment times alone don’t identify the patient without a name or other ID, general demographic details without a health context aren’t PHI, and a prescription number that isn’t linked to a patient isn’t tied to an identifiable individual, so it isn’t PHI.