True or False: Patients can restrict disclosures of their PHI.

True or False: Patients can restrict disclosures of their PHI.

• A. True, but the covered entity is not required to agree to the restriction
• B. True, and the covered entity must comply
• C. False, they have no control over their PHI
• D. False, it can be disclosed anytime

Answer: (A)

Patients have the right to request restrictions on the use and disclosure of their Protected Health Information (PHI) under HIPAA. This means that they can specify certain situations in which they would prefer their PHI not to be shared. However, while patients can express these preferences, covered entities (like hospitals or healthcare providers) are not obligated to agree to the requested restrictions. Therefore, the correct understanding is that while patients do have the power to request limits on how their information is shared, the covered entity has the discretion to accept or deny those requests based on their operational needs or compliance requirements. This establishes the framework for patient autonomy concerning PHI while also recognizing the responsibilities of healthcare entities in managing that information.

Patients have the right to request restrictions on the use and disclosure of their Protected Health Information (PHI) under HIPAA. This means that they can specify certain situations in which they would prefer their PHI not to be shared. However, while patients can express these preferences, covered entities (like hospitals or healthcare providers) are not obligated to agree to the requested restrictions. Therefore, the correct understanding is that while patients do have the power to request limits on how their information is shared, the covered entity has the discretion to accept or deny those requests based on their operational needs or compliance requirements. This establishes the framework for patient autonomy concerning PHI while also recognizing the responsibilities of healthcare entities in managing that information.