Which statement about privacy is true?

Which statement about privacy is true?

• A. Logging in with your own credentials and protecting your password is best practice
• B. Sharing login credentials with coworkers is acceptable
• C. Accessing the record for any reason is allowed
• D. Emailing patient information to a personal account is fine

Answer: (C)

Protecting privacy means patient information stays confidential and is accessed only by people who need it to provide care. The strongest practice is to log in with your own credentials and keep your password secure, so every action in the system can be traced to the individual responsible and only authorized staff can view records. Sharing login credentials breaks accountability and makes it impossible to know who accessed what, which can lead to misuse or breaches. Accessing a patient’s record for any reason, rather than for a legitimate, job-related purpose, violates the need-to-know principle and increases the risk of exposing PHI. Emailing patient information to a personal account bypasses secure channels and is not permitted; PHI should be transmitted only through approved, secure methods. Following the rule of using your own login and protecting it supports confidentiality, helps meet legal and ethical privacy standards, and reduces the chance of privacy violations.

Protecting privacy means patient information stays confidential and is accessed only by people who need it to provide care. The strongest practice is to log in with your own credentials and keep your password secure, so every action in the system can be traced to the individual responsible and only authorized staff can view records. Sharing login credentials breaks accountability and makes it impossible to know who accessed what, which can lead to misuse or breaches. Accessing a patient’s record for any reason, rather than for a legitimate, job-related purpose, violates the need-to-know principle and increases the risk of exposing PHI. Emailing patient information to a personal account bypasses secure channels and is not permitted; PHI should be transmitted only through approved, secure methods. Following the rule of using your own login and protecting it supports confidentiality, helps meet legal and ethical privacy standards, and reduces the chance of privacy violations.