Under federal laws, client records kept by health care professionals can be

• A. reviewed by clients themselves unless the client provides written permission to share with others
• B. reviewed only by other health-care professionals
• C. reviewed by anyone who submits a formal written request
• D. released only by subpoena

Answer: (B)

Confidentiality and need-to-know guide how health records are handled. The information in a client’s file is kept private and is shared primarily with those who have a professional responsibility to the client and a legitimate need to know in order to provide or coordinate care. This is why the most appropriate view is that records are reviewed by other health-care professionals involved in the client’s treatment. They use the information to ensure accurate treatment, monitor progress, and protect safety, while restricting access to people outside the care team.

Releasing records to the general public or to anyone who requests them without a legitimate professional need would undermine privacy. Relying on a subpoena as the sole route to access also doesn’t reflect how privacy protections operate in typical practice, where access is controlled and guided by confidentiality rules and the clinical need to know.