Which practice best supports confidentiality of protected health information in athletic training?

• A. Sharing PHI with all staff for convenience
• B. Restricting PHI to authorized personnel and following privacy rules; using secure documentation
• C. Posting PHI in public areas
• D. Allowing athletes to opt out of privacy protections

Answer: (B)

Protecting confidentiality of PHI means limiting access to information to those who need it to provide care and keeping records secure. In athletic training, PHI includes medical histories, treatment notes, diagnoses, and similar data. The best practice is to restrict access to authorized personnel directly involved in the athlete’s care and to follow privacy rules, using secure documentation systems. This means using password-protected electronic records, encryption or secure methods when sharing information, and keeping paper records in locked storage with clear audit trails. This approach reduces the risk of unintended disclosures and meets legal and ethical obligations, while also maintaining the athlete’s trust.

Sharing PHI with all staff, posting it publicly, or allowing athletes to opt out of privacy protections would undermine confidentiality and violate established privacy safeguards.