How should confidentiality be maintained in interprofessional teams and within health information exchanges?

• A. Share only information necessary with authorized personnel; use secure channels and rely on consent and legal requirements
• B. Share all patient data with every team member to ensure seamless care
• C. Use unsecure channels to expedite information exchange
• D. Keep information within the individual clinician, never sharing with team

Answer: (A)

Maintaining confidentiality in interprofessional teams and health information exchanges hinges on sharing only what is necessary with those who are authorized to access it, using secure communication channels, and following patient consent and legal requirements. This approach protects patient privacy while enabling coordinated care; it respects the need-to-know principle so team members have what they need to treat safely without exposing unnecessary data. Sharing all patient data with every team member, using unsecure channels, or keeping information siloed with one clinician undermine privacy and can impede effective teamwork and safe care. In practice, apply the minimum necessary standard, obtain appropriate consent when required, and use secure, authenticated, and auditable systems for exchanging information among care providers.