PHI may be shared with which type of users beyond initial care providers?

The sharing of Protected Health Information (PHI) beyond the initial care providers typically extends to secondary users. Secondary users are individuals or entities that may need access to health information for purposes other than immediate patient care. This can include public health authorities, researchers, and insurance companies, among others. The underlying principle is that these users require access to specific data to carry out functions such as improving population health outcomes, conducting clinical research, or assessing the quality of care.

Regulated users can also access PHI; however, they are generally those who are subject to specific laws and regulations governing the collection and use of health information. While they may share commonalities with secondary users, not every regulated user is necessarily categorized as a secondary user.

The terms primary users and tertiary users generally refer to different aspects of healthcare information usage. Primary users are primarily involved in providing direct patient care and usually have direct access to a patient's health information for treatment purposes only, while tertiary users often refer to those involved in higher-level administrative or analytical roles within the healthcare system who might not routinely access PHI.

In summary, secondary users are defined by their role in utilizing health information beyond direct patient care, making them key participants when discussing the sharing of PHI beyond initial care