Research Computing Support
Protected Health Information (PHI)
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Data Description
Protected Health Information (PHI) is regulated by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). PHI is any information in a medical record that can be used to identify an individual, and that was created, used, or disclosed while providing a health care service, such as a diagnosis or treatment. Researchers should be aware that health and medical information about research subjects may also be regulated by HIPAA.
Examples of PHI (include but are not limited to):
- Patients Name
- Phone Number
- Email Address
- SSN
- Electronic Medical Record
Medicare and Medicaid Information:
- Individuals who have applied for or received benefits
- Claims data
- Names and addresses
- Diagnoses
- Medical services
- Other personally identifiable information
Patient’s medical history:
- Diagnoses
- Medications
- Treatment plans
- Immunization dates
- Allergies
- Radiology images
- Laboratory and test results
| Permitted | IT Tools & Products |
|---|---|
![]() | Google Drive |
![]() | Gmail |
![]() | Outlook |
![]() | Microsoft OneDrive for Business |
![]() | Microsoft Teams |
![]() | ISAAC Secure Enclave |
![]() | Windows Virtual Machines (VMs) |
![]() | Linux Virtual Data Center Workstations (Linux vDWS) |
![]() | Virtual Data Center WorkStations (vDWS) |
![]() | WebEx FedRAMP |
![]() | Zoom |
![]() | Globus - Secure Enclave |
![]() | Qualtrics *Allowed if written approval provided in IRB documents |
![]() | REDCap *Allowed if written approval provided in IRB documents |
![]() | Amazon Web Services (AWS) |
![]() | Dryad Data Repository |
![]() | Google Cloud Platform (GCP) |
![]() | Google Cloud Platform FedRAMP |
![]() | Microsoft Azure |
![]() | Microsoft Azure FedRAMP |
![]() | ISAAC Next Generation cluster (ISAAC-NG) |
![]() | Globus - Open Enclave |

Additional Resources
Contact the Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Development (ORIED) for additional information about data types.
Rob Withrow, Director, Human Research Protection Program
email: rwithrow@utk.edu
phone: 865-974-7494

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