| type | skill |
| inheritance | inheritable |
| lifecycle | stable |
| name | healthcare-informatics |
| description | Clinical terminology, healthcare compliance (HIPAA/HITECH), patient safety, and health data management. |
| tier | extended |
| applyTo | **/*health*,**/*clinical*,**/*medical*,**/*patient*,**/*hipaa*,**/*ehr*,**/*pharma* |
| currency | 2026-04-30T00:00:00.000Z |
| lastReviewed | 2026-04-30T00:00:00.000Z |
Healthcare Informatics Skill
Clinical terminology, healthcare compliance (HIPAA/HITECH), patient safety, and health data management.
Core Principle
Healthcare information systems exist to improve patient outcomes. Every data decision balances access (clinicians need information) against privacy (patients deserve protection). When in doubt, protect the patient.
HIPAA Compliance
Protected Health Information (PHI)
PHI is any individually identifiable health information. The 18 HIPAA identifiers:
| # | Identifier | Example |
|---|
| 1 | Names | Full name |
| 2 | Geographic data | Address, ZIP (3-digit OK if population >20K) |
| 3 | Dates | DOB, admission, discharge, death (year OK) |
| 4 | Phone numbers | All |
| 5 | Fax numbers | All |
| 6 | Email addresses | All |
| 7 | SSN | All |
| 8 | Medical record numbers | All |
| 9 | Health plan beneficiary numbers | All |
| 10 | Account numbers | All |
| 11 | Certificate/license numbers | All |
| 12 | Vehicle identifiers | VIN, plates |
| 13 | Device identifiers/serial numbers | All |
| 14 | Web URLs | All |
| 15 | IP addresses | All |
| 16 | Biometric identifiers | Fingerprints, voice |
| 17 | Full-face photographs | All |
| 18 | Any other unique identifying number | All |
De-identification Methods
| Method | Approach | Use When |
|---|
| Safe Harbor | Remove all 18 identifiers | Standard approach, lower risk |