What does personal health information PHI include?

Personal Health Information (PHI) includes any data that relates to an individual's health status, healthcare provision, or payment for healthcare services. This encompasses information such as medical records, treatment histories, diagnoses, medications, and billing details. Additionally, PHI can include identifying information like names, addresses, birth dates, and Social Security numbers when linked to health information. The protection of PHI is critical under regulations like HIPAA in the United States.