What is the correct approach to consent for information sharing in care coordination?

• A. Obtain appropriate consent, share only necessary information, document the authorization, and respect expiration and revocation rights.
• B. Share all patient data with any provider involved without written consent.
• C. Wait for patient to ask before sharing any information.
• D. Retain consent indefinitely without expiration or revocation rights.

Answer: (A)

Consent is the foundation for sharing information during care coordination. You must obtain appropriate consent to disclose protected health information to other providers who are involved in the patient's care. Share only what is necessary to achieve the care coordination goals, not the entire record. Document the authorization so there’s a clear, auditable trail of what was shared, with whom, for what purpose, and for how long. And always respect expiration dates and the patient’s right to revoke consent; if consent ends or is revoked, sharing must stop unless another lawful basis applies.

Other approaches miss essential protections: sharing all data without written consent bypasses patient control and can violate privacy laws; waiting for the patient to ask places the burden on the patient and can delay or hinder needed care; retaining consent indefinitely without expiration or revocation rights ignores the patient’s ongoing control over their information and can conflict with privacy requirements.