Which item is considered patient-identifying information?

Which item is considered patient-identifying information?

• A. The patient's age.
• B. The patient's Social Security Number.
• C. A general health condition unrelated to substance abuse.
• D. Aggregated data.

Answer: (B)

Direct identifiers are pieces of information that can single out a specific person. The Social Security Number uniquely ties to one individual, so it is considered patient-identifying information and requires extra protection. Age, while personal, isn’t unique to a single person and can describe many individuals. A general health condition unrelated to substance abuse is health information, but it isn’t an identifier by itself. Aggregated data is summarized and no longer linked to a specific person, so it isn’t identifying. Keeping direct identifiers like SSN secure is essential for safeguarding protected health information.

Direct identifiers are pieces of information that can single out a specific person. The Social Security Number uniquely ties to one individual, so it is considered patient-identifying information and requires extra protection. Age, while personal, isn’t unique to a single person and can describe many individuals. A general health condition unrelated to substance abuse is health information, but it isn’t an identifier by itself. Aggregated data is summarized and no longer linked to a specific person, so it isn’t identifying. Keeping direct identifiers like SSN secure is essential for safeguarding protected health information.