Which of the following is not a method to protect ePHI?

The option that is identified as not a method to protect electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) is ignoring data breaches. This is because data breaches pose significant risks to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of ePHI. Properly addressing potential breaches is crucial for maintaining compliance with regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

To protect ePHI effectively, healthcare organizations must take proactive steps. Encrypting data is a well-established method that ensures information is encoded, making it unreadable without the appropriate decryption key, thus safeguarding it from unauthorized access. Regular audits help organizations identify vulnerabilities and assess compliance with handling ePHI. Isolating patient information involves separating sensitive data from other types of information to minimize exposure and enhance security.

In contrast, ignoring data breaches not only fails to mitigate risks but can also exacerbate them, leading to potential legal repercussions, financial penalties, and damage to the organization's reputation. Therefore, the focus must always be on actively preventing and responding to breaches rather than neglecting their existence.