Certification of Pharmacy Technicians (ExCPT) Practice Exam

HIPAA is a federal law that protects a patient's PHI when it is?

1. A. Written

2. B. Electronically transferred

3. C. Spoken

4. D. All of the above

The correct answer is: D. All of the above

The correct response highlights that HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) safeguards a patient's Protected Health Information (PHI) across multiple formats: written, electronic, and spoken. This broad protection ensures that any form of communication or documentation containing sensitive health information is subject to privacy regulations. In the written format, HIPAA requires that any documentation containing PHI is stored securely and shared only with authorized personnel. When it comes to electronic transfer, HIPAA mandates the use of secure networks and encryption methods to protect data integrity and privacy during transmission. Furthermore, spoken or verbal communication of PHI is also protected under HIPAA, requiring that such disclosures happen in a private setting, ensuring that unauthorized individuals do not overhear sensitive information. By encompassing all these forms of information, HIPAA effectively creates a comprehensive privacy standard that healthcare providers, plans, and other relevant stakeholders must adhere to in order to protect patient privacy. This holistic approach recognizes the various ways that health information can be transmitted and stresses the importance of safeguarding it in every context.