Under HIPAA, which form is required before releasing a spouse's hearing test results to the husband?

Under HIPAA, which form is required before releasing a spouse's hearing test results to the husband?

• A. Husband to accompany his wife to the evaluation
• B. Wife to give verbal permission over the phone
• C. Wife to sign a HIPAA form listing individuals who may have access to her records
• D. Husband to speak to the referring physician for the results

Answer: (C)

Under HIPAA, sharing protected health information with someone else requires explicit written authorization from the patient. The form that lists the individuals who may access the patient’s records is the mechanism that gives permission for the husband to receive his spouse’s hearing test results. This authorization specifies who can see the information, what parts of the record can be released, the purpose, and how long the permission lasts. It puts the patient in control of who is allowed to know sensitive health details and ensures the release is voluntary and auditable. Accompanying someone to the evaluation isn’t the same as authorization—the patient must authorize access in writing. Verbal permission over the phone isn’t typically sufficient because it’s hard to verify who gave the permission and what exactly is being released. Simply having the husband speak to the referring physician doesn’t grant permission to disclose PHI; without a proper authorization, the physician should not release the results.

Under HIPAA, sharing protected health information with someone else requires explicit written authorization from the patient. The form that lists the individuals who may access the patient’s records is the mechanism that gives permission for the husband to receive his spouse’s hearing test results. This authorization specifies who can see the information, what parts of the record can be released, the purpose, and how long the permission lasts. It puts the patient in control of who is allowed to know sensitive health details and ensures the release is voluntary and auditable.

Accompanying someone to the evaluation isn’t the same as authorization—the patient must authorize access in writing. Verbal permission over the phone isn’t typically sufficient because it’s hard to verify who gave the permission and what exactly is being released. Simply having the husband speak to the referring physician doesn’t grant permission to disclose PHI; without a proper authorization, the physician should not release the results.