When handling program paperwork how often do you think: “I don’t see the participant’s name so I’m good, right?” There are more health identifiers than name or social security numbers. Take short quiz below and check off all the items that HIPAA considers to be personal identifiers.
r Names
r Geographic subdivisions smaller that a state (ex. Address, city, zip code)
r Dates directly related to an individual (birth date, date of discharge from hospital, etc)
r Telephone & fax numbers
r Email addresses
r Social security numbers
r Medical record numbers
r Health plan beneficiary numbers
r Account numbers
r Certificate/license numbers
r Vehicle identifiers and serial numbers (license plate, etc)
r Medical device identifiers and serial numbers
r Web universal resource locators (URLs)
r Internet Protocol (IP) address numbers
r Biometric identifiers, including finger and voice prints
r Full face photographic and any comparable images
r Any other unique identifying number, characteristic, or code
If you checked off all the boxes, congratulations! You understand how to keep personal information private.