The HIPAA Security Rule applies specifically to protected health information in which format?

The HIPAA Security Rule specifically focuses on the protection of electronic protected health information (ePHI). This rule was established to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of ePHI as it is stored, transmitted, or received electronically. Given the rise of electronic health records and digital communication in healthcare, the Security Rule outlines necessary safeguards that must be implemented by covered entities to protect this sensitive information.

While verbal and paper forms of protected health information are covered under different segments of HIPAA, such as the Privacy Rule, the Security Rule is exclusively concerned with electronic data. The option mentioning digital is somewhat similar but does not specifically capture the nuances of the ePHI that the Security Rule addresses, making the focus on electronic protected health information the most accurate interpretation of this rule's application.