Which of the following is considered an incidental disclosure of PHI?

An incidental disclosure of protected health information (PHI) refers to a situation where the information is unintentionally disclosed but occurs as a byproduct of an otherwise permissible activity. In this scenario, when a nurse discusses lab results with another patient, it can be viewed as an incidental disclosure because the nurse is engaging in a necessary healthcare activity (sharing relevant information) in a context where other patients may overhear. This type of disclosure might not be intended for those listeners, but it happens in the normal course of healthcare duties.

The other choices each involve potential breaches of confidentiality that do not classify as incidental. For example, sending unsecured emails with patient information or sending an email to the wrong employee, even if through secure means, are both direct violations of privacy that can lead to unauthorized access to PHI. These actions are not permissible under privacy regulations because they explicitly involve disclosing sensitive information to individuals who should not have access to it. Thus, the focus on the context of healthcare-related communications highlights why that particular scenario is deemed incidental rather than a breach of compliance.