NURS FPX 4045 Assessment 2 Protected Health Information

Name

Capella university

NURS-FPX4045 Nursing Informatics: Managing Health Information and Technology

Prof. Name

Date

Protected Health Information

Understanding Protected Health Information (PHI) and HIPAA Guidelines

Protected Health Information (PHI) refers to any patient-specific data that can identify an individual and relates to their healthcare services, treatments, or payment records. This includes details such as names, contact information, birth dates, diagnostic assessments, prescribed medications, treatment plans, insurance, and billing information (Pool et al., 2024). Managing PHI responsibly, especially during telehealth services, is fundamental to maintaining patient trust and adhering to HIPAA standards.

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) plays a critical role in ensuring the confidentiality, security, and accessibility of PHI in the United States (Lindsey et al., 2025). It prohibits the disclosure of PHI without patient consent, granting individuals the right to access and control their medical information. HIPAA is especially important in the digital age, as telehealth introduces new vulnerabilities. Key components include:

• Security Rule: Mandates protection against unauthorized access to electronic health information (EHI).
• Privacy Rule: Restricts sharing of PHI without appropriate consent.
• Confidentiality Rule: Ensures that data exchange during care processes remains secure.

For example, using unencrypted platforms for telehealth can lead to hacking risks. Likewise, discussing patient data in public spaces may result in unauthorized exposure (Alder, 2025).

Role of Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Social Media Misuse

Interdisciplinary collaboration is vital for safeguarding EHI, especially in telehealth. Professionals from various sectors—clinical, administrative, security, and IT—must work together to ensure robust data protection. Clinical staff engage in cybersecurity training to apply secure practices like encryption and password management. Administrators develop safety policies and allocate resources, while IT experts implement advanced tools such as firewalls and encryption systems. Institutions like the Cleveland Clinic have implemented such holistic strategies to uphold patient confidentiality (Cleveland Clinic, 2023).

Unfortunately, social media misuse continues to be a serious breach point. Healthcare professionals, especially nurses, must refrain from posting patient-related content online. Violations can lead to severe consequences including job termination, license revocation, financial penalties, and legal action. Notable incidents include:

• A nursing assistant terminated for sharing a Snapchat video of an Alzheimer’s patient (Moore & Frye, 2020).
• An oral surgeon fined \$10,000 for sharing PHI on a public review platform.
• Organizations fined for broad PHI exposure—such as Green Ridge Behavioral Healthcare being penalized for disclosing data of over 14,000 patients (Alder, 2025).

These incidents highlight the importance of maintaining professional boundaries and respecting patient privacy in all communications, including on social platforms.

Practices and Strategies for Securing PHI

To protect PHI, especially during telehealth interactions, organizations should implement a range of security-focused strategies:

• Use Robust Security Systems: Employing secure platforms with SSL encryption safeguards patient information. The Mayo Clinic utilizes such systems to maintain secure data transmission (Mayo Clinic, 2024).
• Conduct Safety Audits: Regular evaluations and feedback from stakeholders help ensure continuous HIPAA compliance. MGH, for instance, performs internal audits to ensure patient privacy (MGH, n.d.).
• Cybersecurity Training: Educating healthcare staff on data safety principles helps reduce breaches during digital communication.

Additional social media-specific strategies include:

• Instituting strict policies prohibiting PHI sharing or discussing work online.
• Using encrypted communication channels for all patient-related dialogue.
• Establishing a clear reporting protocol for suspected breaches to minimize exposure and facilitate rapid responses.

Together, these measures help create a culture of privacy and accountability in healthcare settings.

Summary Table

Category	Key Details	Examples/Implications
Protected Health Information (PHI)	Patient-identifiable data including treatments, diagnostics, and insurance	Requires secure handling during telehealth sessions (Pool et al., 2024)
HIPAA Components	Security Rule, Privacy Rule, Confidentiality Rule	Prevents unauthorized access or sharing of PHI (Lindsey et al., 2025; Alder, 2025)
Interdisciplinary Collaboration	Involves clinicians, administrators, security, and IT	Cleveland Clinic uses team-based privacy approaches (Cleveland Clinic, 2023)
Social Media Violations	PHI posted online can lead to penalties, termination, jail	Nurses, surgeons, and institutions have faced legal actions (Moore & Frye, 2020)
Prevention Practices	Encryption, audits, cybersecurity workshops	Mayo Clinic uses SSL; MGH performs privacy audits (Mayo Clinic, 2024; MGH, n.d.)
Social Media Guidelines	Avoid posting or discussing patient info online; report breaches	Strict internal policies reduce exposure and disciplinary risks (Alder, 2025)

References

Alder, S. (2023). HIPAA and social media rules – Updated for 2023. The HIPAA Journal. https://www.hipaajournal.com/hipaa-social-media/

Alder, S. (2023). HIPAA privacy rule – updated for 2023. The HIPAA Journal. https://www.hipaajournal.com/hipaa-privacy-rule/

Cleveland Clinic. (2023). Holistic, multidisciplinary approach protects patient data and privacy. ClevelandClinic.org. https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/holistic-multidisciplinary-approach-protects-patient-data-and-privacy/

NURS FPX 4045 Assessment 2 Protected Health Information

Lindsey, D., Sniker, R., Travers, C., Budhwani, H., Richardson, M., Quisney, R., & Shukla, V. V. (2023). When HIPAA hurts: Legal barriers to texting may reinforce healthcare disparities and disenfranchise vulnerable patients. Journal of Perinatology, 45(2), 278–281. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41372-024-00805-5

Mayo Clinic. (2024). Privacy policy. MayoClinic.org. https://www.mayoclinic.org/about-this-site/privacy-policy

MGH. (n.d.). Protect our patients’ privacy. Massachusetts General Hospital. https://www.massgeneral.org/assets/MGH/pdf/research/mgh-privacy-presentation.pdf

Moore, W., & Frye, S. (2020). Review of HIPAA, part 2: Infractions, rights, violations, and role for the imaging technologist. Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology, 48(1), 7–13. https://doi.org/10.2967/jnmt.119.227827

NURS FPX 4045 Assessment 2 Protected Health Information

Pool, J., Akhlaghpour, S., Fatehi, F., & Burton-Jones, A. (2023). A systematic analysis of failures in protecting personal health data: A scoping review. International Journal of Information Management, 74, 102719–102719. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2023.102719