What happens when PHI is disclosed by an unauthorized person to someone not in the workforce?

The correct choice is that when PHI (Protected Health Information) is disclosed by an unauthorized person to someone not in the workforce, they are unlikely to retain it. This reflects the understanding that individuals who are not officially part of an organization’s workforce typically don’t have a vested interest in retaining sensitive information, especially health data. Unaffiliated individuals may not have the means or motivation to keep this information securely or even recall it later, as they are not trained or incentivized in the same ways that authorized workforce members might be.

Retention of PHI often relies on the context in which it is disclosed, the nature of the unauthorized means of access, and the individual’s understanding of its significance. In many situations, unauthorized disclosures do not create a situation where the information is deliberately held onto or protected, especially by those who do not have a legitimate purpose for retaining it.

The other information regarding penalties, breach considerations, or the likelihood of retention does not hold in this specific context, where the unauthorized disclosure is made to someone who is outside the established workforce and likely untrained in handling such sensitive information.