What types of sensitive information require special authorization for ROI?

Sensitive information that requires special authorization for release of information (ROI) typically includes behavioral health and genetic information due to the heightened privacy concerns associated with these types of data. Behavioral health records often contain personal and sensitive details about an individual’s mental health history, treatment, and progress, which could be stigmatizing if disclosed without proper authorization. Similarly, genetic information can reveal predispositions to various health conditions, which is highly sensitive and intimately tied to personal privacy.

These types of information are frequently protected by strict regulations, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the United States, which emphasizes the need for patient consent before sharing details that could impact an individual's privacy and discrimination possibilities. This is in contrast to other types of information listed in the options, such as financial information or employment records, which, while sensitive, do not have the same level of direct health-related privacy concerns under specific healthcare laws.