What data access principle should govern sharing patient information within the care team?

What data access principle should govern sharing patient information within the care team?

• A. Everyone should have full access to all patients.
• B. Access only during business hours.
• C. Least-privilege access with consent where required and secure transmission.
• D. Access should be granted only after patient request.

Answer: (C)

Access to patient data should be restricted to what is necessary for delivering care, governed by authorization and ongoing need-to-know. This least-privilege approach minimizes who can see sensitive information, reducing privacy risks while still enabling the team to work effectively. Data shared within the care team should occur with patient consent where required, and transmission must be secure to protect information in transit (for example, encryption and secure channels). In practice, this means using role-based access, regularly reviewing who has access, and maintaining audit trails to detect any inappropriate access. Other approaches fall short because giving everyone full access unnecessarily increases privacy exposure; relying on business hours can delay care and isn’t reliable for urgent needs; and granting access only after a patient request can impede timely teamwork and care coordination.

Access to patient data should be restricted to what is necessary for delivering care, governed by authorization and ongoing need-to-know. This least-privilege approach minimizes who can see sensitive information, reducing privacy risks while still enabling the team to work effectively. Data shared within the care team should occur with patient consent where required, and transmission must be secure to protect information in transit (for example, encryption and secure channels). In practice, this means using role-based access, regularly reviewing who has access, and maintaining audit trails to detect any inappropriate access.

Other approaches fall short because giving everyone full access unnecessarily increases privacy exposure; relying on business hours can delay care and isn’t reliable for urgent needs; and granting access only after a patient request can impede timely teamwork and care coordination.