When requesting permission to access the medical records of a fifth-grade student who has been seeing a psychologist through outpatient services, what should the diagnostician assure the parents regarding privacy and related considerations?

• A. The benefit of collaborating with outside providers to best support their child's needs
• B. The district's policy on data retention
• C. That medical records will be shared with all teachers
• D. That records will be destroyed after review

Answer: (A)

The main idea is to emphasize how sharing information with outside providers can support the student’s needs while protecting privacy. When a diagnostician explains access to medical records from a psychologist, the goal is to coordinate care so that assessments, interventions, and supports in school align with the child’s treatment and avoid gaps or conflicting recommendations. Parents should be reassured that any sharing is done with their informed consent and limited to information that is necessary for understanding and supporting the child, and that access is restricted to professionals who are directly involved in the student’s care. It’s not appropriate to imply that medical records will be shared with all teachers, and there are established processes to limit disclosure, protect confidentiality, and specify who may access the records and for how long.