What is required from patients before certain information can be released?

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The requirement for patients before certain information can be released is authorization. Authorization is a formal mechanism that allows healthcare providers to disclose a patient's protected health information (PHI) to third parties. Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), this authorization must be obtained in specific circumstances, such as when a provider needs to share medical records with another healthcare professional or when information is requested for purposes other than treatment, payment, or healthcare operations.

Authorization must be written, and it should specify what information may be disclosed, to whom, and for what purpose. This ensures that patients maintain control over their personal health information and that their privacy is respected. Informed consent, while important in many healthcare contexts, does not fully encompass the compliance requirements outlined by HIPAA for disclosure of PHI. Other options like disclosure and notification do not appropriately represent the formal consent process required for sharing protected health information.

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