Certified in Healthcare Privacy and Security (CHPS) 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

Obtaining written authorization from a patient is essential when dealing with their protected health information (PHI), particularly in situations that fall outside the normal scope of treatment, payment, or healthcare operations as defined by HIPAA. When an attorney requests records for litigation purposes, this falls into a category that typically requires explicit consent from the patient. This is due to the sensitive nature of the information involved and the potential implications for the patient within a legal context.

In contrast, the other scenarios usually involve circumstances where the disclosures may include permissible uses without the need for patient authorization. For instance, patient surveys and internal audits commonly relate to the healthcare entity’s operations and may not necessitate individual consent. Similarly, adjustments in insurance claims typically align with healthcare operations and payment processes, allowing for the handling of PHI without obtaining prior authorization from patients. Thus, the requirement for written authorization is particularly vital in situations involving legal requests to ensure patient privacy rights are upheld.