Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist (CEHRS) Practice Exam

What type of health information can healthcare providers share for treatment purposes?

1. Only verbal information

2. Only information contained in written form

3. Any health information necessary for patient care

4. Information that patients have explicitly consented to share

The correct answer is: Any health information necessary for patient care

Healthcare providers can share any health information necessary for patient care under the principle of providing effective treatment. This allows for a comprehensive understanding of a patient's medical history, current condition, and treatment needs. It enables providers to coordinate care efficiently and makes it possible for various specialists and team members to work together for the patient's benefit. Sharing this information is fundamental for ensuring continuity of care and addressing any potential complications promptly. While patient consent and privacy regulations, such as HIPAA in the United States, do provide frameworks guiding how this information should be handled, when it comes to treatment purposes, healthcare providers are empowered to share relevant health information that is critical to delivering safe and effective care. In contrast, the other options are limited in scope or overly restrictive. There are no stipulations that health information can only be verbal or only in written form, nor is the sharing limited to what patients have explicitly consented to share, as treatment purposes allow for a broader sharing of necessary information to facilitate effective care.