Wash. Rev. Code § 70.02.050

Disclosure without a Patient’s Authorization

A health care provider or facility has the option of disclosing health care information about a patient without the patient’s authorization if the disclosure fits in one of the following categories:

• To a person who the provider or facility reasonably believes is providing health care to the patient
• To other persons in the facility or office to provide planning, quality assurance, peer review, or administrative, legal, financial or other health care operations on behalf of the provider or facility
• To another provider reasonably believed to have previously provided health care to the patient, unless the patient has specifically instructed otherwise
• To a person the provider or facility reasonably believes will help avoid or minimize an imminent danger to the health or safety of the patient or any other individual
• To immediate family members, domestic partners, and close personal relationships of the patient, unless the patient has stated otherwise
• For use in certain research projects that contain reasonable safeguards to protect the information from direct identification and redisclosure
• To a person who obtains information for purposes of an audit
• To officials of a correctional facility
• To provide directory information, unless the patient has instructed the health care provider or health care facility not to make the disclosure
• To fire, police, sheriff, or other public authorities that brought the patient to the provider or facility
• To law enforcement authorities if evidence of criminal conduct is present
• For payment

Occasionally, a health care provider or facility must disclose patient information, even without an authorization.  These instances include:

• To public health authorities when needed to determine compliance with state or federal licensure, certification or registration laws, or when needed to protect the public health
• To law enforcement authorities to the extent the health care provider is required by law
• To law enforcement authorities upon receiving a written or oral request made to a nursing supervisor, administrator, or designated privacy official, in a case in which the patient is being treated for a firearm caused injury, or an injury caused by a knife, ice pick, or any other sharp, pointed or blunt instruments believed to have been intentionally inflicted upon the patient.

Related Laws: Wash. Rev. Code § 70.02.020; Wash. Rev. Code § 70.02.030