Which statement best reflects ethical practice for sharing client information in coordinated care?

• A. Share information with all professionals involved in care, without client consent.
• B. Share information only with consent but not necessarily what is necessary to protect privacy.
• C. Share information with family members if asked by any party.
• D. Share information only with consent and only what is necessary to protect privacy.

Answer: (D)

Ethical practice in coordinating care centers on respecting confidentiality while enabling effective treatment. In real-world care, you seek the client’s informed consent before sharing information with other professionals involved in their treatment. Once consent is given, you disclose only what is necessary for the recipient to provide care—nothing more. This balanced approach protects privacy and ensures that information flow supports treatment without exposing unnecessary details.

Sharing information without consent breaches trust and confidentiality. Providing information with consent but not limiting it to what’s necessary risks unnecessary exposure of sensitive data. Involving family members simply because they ask, without the client’s explicit consent, oversteps the client’s autonomy and privacy rights. Therefore, the best practice is to share information only with consent and only what is necessary to protect privacy.