What is meant by identifiable health information?

Identifiable health information refers to any data that can be used to uniquely identify an individual. This includes specific identifiers such as a person's name, Social Security Number, medical record number, or any other information that can be linked back to them. Such identifiers are crucial for maintaining patient confidentiality and ensuring compliance with health privacy regulations like HIPAA. The inclusion of explicit identifiers means that the information can directly connect a health record to a specific individual, making it identifiable health information.

In contrast, general health statistics or information that cannot be linked to a client does not fall under this definition as it lacks the specific details necessary for identifying an individual. Data related to public health also typically aggregates information and cannot be associated with individual patients, which further emphasizes the distinction between identifiable and non-identifiable health data. Thus, the correct choice highlights the centrality of specific identifiers in distinguishing identifiable health information.