Which of the the following statements is true in regard to limited data sets?

A.Limited data sets contain some individual identifiers.
B.Patients must authorize the use of limited data sets.
C. Those who receive limited data sets can pass them on without restrictions.
D.Limited data sets can't include a patients city, state, age, or birth date.

http://hipaa.wisc.edu/ResearchGuide/limiteddatasets.html

To determine which of the following statements is true regarding limited data sets, we need to understand what limited data sets are and their characteristics.

Limited data sets refer to protected health information (PHI) that have undergone certain modifications to remove specified identifiers but may still include other identifying information. These data sets are subject to specific restrictions regarding their use and disclosure under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule.

Now let's examine each statement and determine its accuracy:

A. Limited data sets contain some individual identifiers.
This statement is true. Limited data sets still contain some individual identifiers, such as dates directly related to an individual (e.g., birthdates, admission dates), as long as no more specific identifying information is included (e.g., year of birth instead of full birthdate).

B. Patients must authorize the use of limited data sets.
This statement is false. Patients do not need to authorize the use of limited data sets. However, covered entities must enter into a data use agreement (DUA) with the recipient of the limited data set, which sets forth the permitted uses and disclosure of the data.

C. Those who receive limited data sets can pass them on without restrictions.
This statement is false. Those who receive limited data sets are subject to restrictions on their use and disclosure. The recipient of a limited data set is not allowed to pass it on to any third party without obtaining a proper data use agreement with each subsequent recipient.

D. Limited data sets can't include a patient's city, state, age, or birth date.
This statement is false. Limited data sets can include elements such as the city, state, age, or birth date of the individual, as long as the information does not directly identify the individual and is consistent with the purpose of creating a limited data set.

So, based on the analysis above, the accurate statement is:
A. Limited data sets contain some individual identifiers.

The correct statement regarding limited data sets is:

B. Patients must authorize the use of limited data sets.

Limited data sets are a specific subset of protected health information (PHI) that can be used for research, public health, or healthcare operations purposes. However, patients must provide their authorization before their information can be used in this way. It is important to note that limited data sets do not contain direct individual identifiers, such as name, social security number, or street address, but they may include some identifiers, such as dates of admission and discharge. As for the other statements:

A. Limited data sets do not contain individual identifiers except for certain elements.

C. Limited data sets must still adhere to certain privacy regulations and cannot be passed on without restrictions.

D. Limited data sets can contain some patient demographic information, such as city and state, but not direct identifiers like birth date or age.