A release of information (ROI) department or division is found in the majority of

hospital A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...

s. In the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

HIPAA The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA or the Kennedy– Kassebaum Act) is a United States Act of Congress enacted by the 104th United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton on August 21, 1 ...

and state guidelines strongly direct the rules and regulations of patient information. ROI departments perform such tasks as obtaining patient consent, certifying medical records, and deciding what information can be released. The ROI department is often found within the

health information management Health information management (HIM) is information management applied to health and health care. It is the practice of analyzing and protecting digital and traditional medical information vital to providing quality patient care. With the widespr ...

services (HIMS) department of a hospital. The oversight of the HIMS department is usually overseen by a director. The director of health information may have credentials such as RHIT (registered health information technician) or RHIA (registered health information administrator). Special federal regulations protect the release of information in the areas of

mental health Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...

, drug treatment, and alcohol treatment. Records of this nature often require either a patient's consent or a court order for their release. ROI staff must possess a strong acumen for the legal rights of the patient.

See also