If a client asks for access to their medical or social records, the provider should disclose unless it would cause harm or misunderstanding. Which choice best reflects this principle?

• A. The records must always be provided
• B. Disclosure is never allowed without consent
• C. Records may be withheld if it would cause harm or misunderstanding
• D. Records should always be redacted before sharing

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is that clients generally have the right to access their medical or social records, but there are safety-based exceptions that allow withholding access if releasing the information could cause harm or misunderstanding. In practice, this means you should disclose records unless you have a well-founded concern that doing so would pose a risk to the client or someone else, or would lead to significant confusion that could hinder treatment.

This approach respects the client’s autonomy and right to information while prioritizing safety and clarity. If releasing the records could trigger harm or misinterpretation, you can provide access in a safer form (for example, a plain-language summary or discussion with the client to review the records together) or selectively with appropriate safeguards, rather than providing everything verbatim without consideration.

The other options are too absolute or impractical: always providing records ignores safety concerns; never allowing access without consent contradicts the client’s right to their own information; and always redacting before sharing isn’t necessary and can obscure important context.