What is a best practice for protecting PHI?

De-identifying PHI, which involves removing or altering personal identifiers from health information, is a best practice for protecting patient health information (PHI). This process minimizes the risk of disclosure of identifiable information while still allowing for data analysis and research. By de-identifying the information, health organizations can share necessary data without compromising an individual's privacy, thus adhering to regulations such as HIPAA that mandate the protection of patient information.

In terms of other options, allowing only verbal communication of PHI can pose risks if conversations happen in public or unsecured environments. Posting information in public areas for awareness can lead to unauthorized access to sensitive data. Storing all records in a digital format only might not inherently provide security, as digital records can also be vulnerable to cyber threats if not properly protected. Therefore, de-identifying PHI serves as a robust approach to maintain patient confidentiality while still enabling the use of health data for important purposes.