What type of information does PHI include?

Protected Health Information (PHI) encompasses any medical information that can specifically identify an individual. This includes data such as names, addresses, dates of birth, social security numbers, medical record numbers, and any information related to an individual's health condition, treatment, or payment for healthcare that can link back to a specific person.

The reason this option is correct is that PHI is designed to protect personal and health information that, if disclosed, could compromise patient privacy. Regulations under HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) enforce strict guidelines on how this information can be used, shared, and protected to ensure that individuals’ health information remains confidential.

Other options do not fully align with the definition of PHI. For example, financial records of a healthcare organization pertain more to the organization's operations than to specific patient information. Statistics on patient demographics may aggregate data without identifying individuals, thus falling outside of PHI. General health news articles do not usually involve identifiable health information and are typically disseminated for public knowledge, which does not fall under the jurisdiction of PHI.