What constitutes a privacy breach?

A privacy breach is fundamentally defined as the unauthorized acquisition, access, use, or disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI). This encompasses a wide range of actions where sensitive health information is compromised outside the bounds of what is allowed under privacy regulations. Unauthorized access or disclosure indicates that an individual or entity has obtained PHI without the necessary permissions, either from the individual to whom the information pertains or as stipulated by laws such as HIPAA.

The correct answer accurately captures the essence of how privacy breaches occur, focusing on the unauthorized nature of the interaction with PHI, which can lead to significant harms including identity theft or other forms of medical fraud. This broad definition helps organizations understand their responsibilities regarding handling PHI and underscores the importance of safeguarding patient information.

The other choices, while they may relate to breaches of privacy, are more specific scenarios that can indeed indicate a breach when unauthorized actions occur, but they do not encompass the full breadth of what a privacy breach entails. For example, unauthorized storage in non-secured locations or sharing information without consent are indeed serious issues but stem from the overarching definition of unauthorized access or disclosure. Understanding the foundational definition is critical for identifying various forms of privacy breaches in practice.