Which practice supports patient privacy in health information management?

• A. Publishing medical records publicly.
• B. Keeping records only on paper and not backing up.
• C. Limiting unauthorized access to records.
• D. Allowing all staff to view all records.

Answer: (C)

Protecting patient privacy in health information management hinges on restricting access to personal health data to those who need it for their role. When access is limited to authorized personnel, it reduces the chance of accidental or intentional disclosure and helps meet legal and professional standards such as HIPAA. The practice of limiting unauthorized access to records reflects this approach by enforcing access controls, proper authentication, and the principle of least privilege, often with audit trails to monitor who sees what. Publishing records publicly would reveal sensitive information and violate privacy, keeping records only on paper and not backing them up introduces risk of loss or uncontrolled access, and letting all staff view all records completely breaches confidentiality and undermines trust. In short, restricting access is the key way to protect patient privacy.