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Data Security Overview: What is Protected Health Information (PHI) & Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI)?

Protected health information (PHI) is any individually identifying health information, categorized into 18 patient identifiers under HIPAA.


The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) lists the 18 HIPAA identifiers as follows:


Electronic protected health information (ePHI) is any PHI that is created, stored, transmitted, or received electronically. 

Media used to store data, include:

  • Personal computers with internal hard drives used at work, home, or while traveling

  • External portable hard drives

  • Magnetic tape

  • Removable storage devices, including USB drives, CDs, DVDs, and SD cards

  • Smartphones and PDAs

Means of transmitting data via wifi, Ethernet, modem, DSL, or cable network connections including:

  • Email

  • File transfers