What does HIPAA's "minimum necessary" standard require?

The "minimum necessary" standard established by HIPAA requires that covered entities limit their use and disclosure of protected health information (PHI) to the minimum amount necessary to accomplish the purpose of the use, disclosure, or request. This means that when accessing or sharing health information, only the data that is essential for specific tasks or to satisfy a particular need should be utilized. This principle is aimed at protecting patient privacy and ensuring that individuals’ health information is not unnecessarily exposed.

The other options reflect approaches that do not align with HIPAA guidelines. Sharing all health information freely would violate patient confidentiality and does not observe the required protections for PHI. Keeping health information inaccessible does not fulfill the needs of care or regulatory requirements, as access is necessary for providing healthcare services. Disclosing health records without restrictions would completely disregard the privacy protections intended by HIPAA, leading to potential misuse or unauthorized access to sensitive information.