Electronic protected health information (ePHI)
Individually identifiable health information covered by HIPAA that is created, received, maintained, or transmitted electronically.
In practice
ePHI is PHI stored or transmitted electronically — databases, queues, logs, backups, and support exports count even when the UI never displays clinical content. Business associates must scope every system that creates, receives, maintains, or transmits ePHI.
Common confusion
All ePHI is PHI, but paper or oral PHI is not ePHI.