According to AHIMA, a ____________ comprises individually identifiable data, in any medium, that is collected, processed, stored, displayed, and used by healthcare professionals.

• A. PHI
• B. Health Record
• C. Electronic Health Record
• D. Medical Chart

Answer: (B)

AHIMA treats a health record as an organized collection of a patient’s health information that is created and used by health professionals to document and coordinate care. This collection can exist in any medium—paper, electronic, or combinations—and includes data that are collected, stored, displayed, and used throughout the delivery of care. In other words, the health record is the repository that brings together the identifiable information clinicians rely on to treat, plan, and bill for services. While the data within the record are often referred to as protected health information (PHI) when they identify an individual, the health record itself is the overarching compilation that holds all those identifiable data across time and settings. So, the description matches the health record as the comprehensive, medium-spanning collection used by healthcare professionals in the course of care.