An individual's medical record information is not released to medical records or scientific organizations when

• A. The information concerns patients treated in an MTF within the past five years
• B. Reproducing the information would be a burden or it is contrary to existing laws
• C. The patient does not want his or her records released
• D. The request concerns active duty members

Answer: (B)

Protecting patient privacy means medical record disclosures aren’t automatic; they require proper authorization or a lawful basis. The strongest reason to withhold release is when providing the information would place an undue burden on the releasing organization or would contravene existing laws or regulations. If gathering, copying, and transmitting the records is impractical or would violate privacy statutes, the information should not be released. The other scenarios don’t automatically prevent disclosure because there are often permissible pathways—such as when a patient consents, or when disclosures are allowed under specific regulatory exceptions—so they aren’t universal barriers.