Which statement about sharing protected health information with another provider is accurate?

Which statement about sharing protected health information with another provider is accurate?

• A. It never requires the patient's consent
• B. The patient's signed consent is not required to share PHI
• C. The patient's signed consent is required to share PHI with another provider
• D. A verbal request is sufficient for sharing PHI

Answer: (C)

The key idea here is that patient control over PHI is shown through a clear authorization when sharing information beyond routine care. Requesting a signed consent provides a verifiable, explicit permission for disclosure to another provider, which helps protect the patient’s privacy and ensures there’s a documented basis for the release. While in many treatment scenarios PHI can flow between providers without a separate authorization, the strongest and most specific way to authorize sharing with another provider is a signed consent. This is why the statement about needing a signed consent is the best fit for accurately describing how PHI disclosure is handled in this context.

The key idea here is that patient control over PHI is shown through a clear authorization when sharing information beyond routine care. Requesting a signed consent provides a verifiable, explicit permission for disclosure to another provider, which helps protect the patient’s privacy and ensures there’s a documented basis for the release. While in many treatment scenarios PHI can flow between providers without a separate authorization, the strongest and most specific way to authorize sharing with another provider is a signed consent. This is why the statement about needing a signed consent is the best fit for accurately describing how PHI disclosure is handled in this context.