Certified in Healthcare Privacy and Security (CHPS) Practice

The correct answer is access authorization. This standard outlines the specific processes and criteria for determining who is permitted to access protected health information (PHI) within a healthcare organization. By establishing access authorization protocols, healthcare entities ensure that only individuals with a legitimate need to know, such as healthcare providers and administrative staff, can access sensitive patient data. Access authorization plays a critical role in maintaining the confidentiality and security of PHI, as it directly addresses the need to safeguard this information from unauthorized access. Elements of access authorization include role-based access controls, user authentication methods, and the establishment of user privileges that align with the individual's job responsibilities. The other choices, while related to the topic of access control in healthcare, do not specifically define the formal process for granting access to PHI. Access control generally refers to the broader concept of restricting access to information, whereas access management could encompass the overall administration of user access rights but does not define the process itself. Information sharing policies guide how and when data may be shared but do not specifically address the individual access rights to PHI. Thus, access authorization is the standard that most directly aligns with the process of granting access to protected health information in a compliant manner.