Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) Practice Exam

What does protecting e-PHI against anticipated threats ensure?

1. That it is stored in a locked location

2. That the data is secure and maintains integrity

3. That only senior staff have access

4. That physical documents are also protected

The correct answer is: That the data is secure and maintains integrity

Protecting electronic Protected Health Information (e-PHI) against anticipated threats is critical to maintaining the security and integrity of health data. This involves implementing various safeguards that help prevent unauthorized access, breaches, and corruption of the data. When e-PHI is secure, it not only prevents data loss and misuse but also ensures that the information remains accurate and trustworthy. This means that patients and healthcare providers can rely on the data for making informed decisions regarding health care. Maintaining the integrity of data is also essential in the healthcare environment, as inaccurate data can lead to harmful consequences for patient care and treatment. By anticipating threats and proactively implementing protective measures, organizations can ensure that the e-PHI remains confidential, accessible to authorized users only, and unaltered or corrupted. Other choices might seem reasonable but do not address the comprehensive nature of securing e-PHI. For instance, simply storing data in a locked location does not necessarily protect it from electronic threats such as hacking or malware. Limiting access to senior staff may not provide the necessary security for the overall system and could hinder operational efficiency. Finally, while it is important to protect physical documents, the focus of this question is specifically on electronic information. Therefore, the core of protecting e-PHI lies in ensuring