| Course | HI135 Legal Aspects of Health Information |
|---|---|
| Unit | Unit 3 |
| Paper type | Release of information case |
| Length | About 750 words, 5 pages double-spaced |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Purdue University Global |
| Program | BS in Health Information Management |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for HI135 Unit 3
The Letter Says Any and All, the Form Says One Collision: A Unit 3 Release of Information Case Note Releasing Only What Falls Inside Both the Authorization's Description and Its Dates
[Student Name]
Purdue University Global
HI135: Legal Aspects of Health Information
Unit 3 Release of Information Case
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The patient, the law firm and the records are composite; the rules applied and the sources cited are real.
To, From, Subject
To: release of information supervisor. From: release of information specialist. Subject: request from a law firm for records of J. L., received April 9.
Decision
Release the emergency department visit of October 14, the orthopedic follow-up visits of October 22 and November 19, the imaging reports and images from those visits, and the physical therapy notes from October 28 through January 6. Do not release the remainder of the chart.
The Request and the Instrument
The firm's cover letter asks for "any and all medical records, billing records and correspondence." Attached is an authorization signed by the patient on April 2 naming the firm as recipient and describing the information as "records of treatment for injuries sustained in the motor vehicle collision of October 14, from October 14 through January 31." The instrument is an authorization, not a subpoena or court order, which matters: an authorization releases only what the patient described, while a subpoena would be handled under different rules (45 C.F.R. § 164.512(e), 2024).
Verification
The firm states it represents the patient. That was confirmed by calling the patient at the number in her registration record, not the number on the letter. She confirmed she had hired the firm and signed the form.
Validity
The authorization contains every core element: a description, the parties, the purpose ("legal representation"), an expiration ("one year from signing"), the signature and date, and the three required statements (45 C.F.R. § 164.508, 2024). It does not name psychotherapy notes or substance use disorder records, and none are in the chart.
Scope, Read Against the Chart
This is the decision that matters. The letter asks for everything; the form describes treatment for one collision between two dates. Where the two differ, the form controls, because the authorization is the patient's own statement of what she agreed to release. The chart was read visit by visit against two tests: is the visit for injuries from the October 14 collision, and does it fall between October 14 and January 31?
1. Emergency department, October 14: both tests met. Release.
2. Orthopedic follow-up, October 22 and November 19: both met. Release, with imaging reports and images.
3. Physical therapy, October 28 to January 6, 14 visits: both met. Release.
4. Annual physical, November 3: within the dates, not for collision injuries. Hold.
5. Visit for anxiety and sleep problems, December 12, which mentions the crash as a stressor: within the dates; the injuries described are not physical injuries from the collision. Hold, and flag for the patient, below.
6. Visits from before October 14: outside the dates. Hold.
7. Billing records: the form describes treatment records, not billing. Hold, and tell the firm a separate authorization is needed if billing is wanted.
Where the letter and the form disagree, the form wins, because only the form carries the patient's signature.
The December 12 Visit
This is the one judgment call. The firm may argue the anxiety visit relates to the collision. The note does not decide that; the patient does. She will be told the visit was held back and that, if she wants it released, she can sign an authorization that names it. That puts a sensitive decision where the rules put it, with her.
Correspondence to the Firm
A cover letter will list what is enclosed by date and type, state that the release follows the description and dates in the authorization, and say that billing records and any other visits require a separate authorization from the patient.
Log
The release is logged with the date, recipient, description, authorization reference and the names of the specialist and approving supervisor. Disclosures made under an authorization do not need to appear in an accounting of disclosures, but the internal log keeps the record of exactly what left and why (45 C.F.R. § 164.528, 2024).
Fees and Timing
The firm is a third party, so the department's standard third-party copy fee applies under state law rather than the patient-access fee limits. Target release: within ten business days.
References
45 C.F.R. § 164.508 (2024). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/section-164.508
45 C.F.R. § 164.512 (2024). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/section-164.512
45 C.F.R. § 164.528 (2024). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/section-164.528
Reading the HI 135 Unit 3 instructions
Unit 3 commonly presents a records request and asks you to decide what to release and why. Identify the requester and the legal instrument, distinguishing an authorization from a subpoena or court order. Verify the requester's identity and relationship to the patient. Confirm the authorization is valid, then compare its description and dates with the chart, item by item, and decide what falls inside. Explain any judgment calls and how you resolved them, ideally by returning sensitive choices to the patient. Write a short cover letter description and log entry. A memo format with the decision near the top is typical, and some sections substitute a subpoena to test whether you know it is handled differently.
Inside the HI135 Unit 3 example
The case is written as a memo with a decision paragraph at the top listing what will and will not be released. Sections follow on the request and instrument, verification by calling the patient, and validity. The scope section lists seven parts of the chart with their dates and reasons, releasing four and holding three. A highlighted line states that the form wins over the letter. A separate paragraph explains the anxiety visit and why the patient decides it, flagged in a margin note. Sections on correspondence, logging, and fees and timing close the case. Every held item carries a reason, so the firm can see exactly what a new authorization would need to cover.
HI135 Unit 3 rubric: what earns full points
Release of information cases are generally graded on scope accuracy. Points go to identifying the instrument correctly, verifying the requester and confirming validity before release. The largest share usually rewards reading the authorization against the chart item by item, with reasons for each decision. Instructors value correct handling of ambiguous records, especially returning choices to the patient. A clear decision near the top and a complete log entry show professional practice. Accurate citations of federal rules and readable memo format complete the rubric. Releasing the whole chart because a letter asked for it is the most costly error. Graders also check that verification used contact details from the hospital's own records rather than the requester's letter.
Common HI135 Unit 3 mistakes, and how to avoid them
The most common error is releasing everything the cover letter asks for. The signed authorization defines the release; the letter does not. Another is skipping verification because the request is on letterhead. Students also forget that billing records may need their own description. Do not decide sensitive judgment calls for the patient when you can ask her. Keep the memo short and lead with the decision. If your section gives you a request and a chart summary, send them and we will write the case note with every release decision explained. Finally, write the cover letter so the firm knows what to ask for next.
Get an HI135 Unit 3 example written to your instructions
Share the request letter and authorization from your scenario along with the Unit 3 instructions and rubric. Our writers build the case on those papers, scope table and log entry included, and deliver it in 24-48h. Your first custom sample is free. A subpoena version works too, so send that instead if your section hands one out. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Purdue University Global document.
More HI135 papers and BS in Health Information Management samples
- HI135 Unit 1: Discussion Board Post
- HI135 Unit 2: Authorization Review
- HI135 Unit 4: Privacy Notice Comparison
- HI135 Unit 5: Retention Schedule
- HI135 Unit 6: Seminar Reflection
- HI135 Unit 7: Amendment Response Letter
- HI135 Unit 8: Breach Notification Memo
- HI135 Unit 9: Disclosure Log Entry
- HI135 Unit 10: Privacy Policy Draft
HI135 Unit 3 questions, answered
Why not release the whole chart and let the attorney sort it out?
Because the authorization defines the release, and whatever falls outside it was never permitted to leave. The finished case treats over-release as the main risk in this unit, since records sent in error cannot be recalled in any real sense. Releasing the defined portion and logging it protects the patient, the facility and your grade at the same time.
Does minimum necessary apply to a release made under an authorization?
Not in the usual sense. Under the federal rule the authorization itself sets the boundary, so the example measures the release against the form's own description and dates rather than applying a separate minimum necessary judgment. Where a section frames the question as minimum necessary anyway, the case can note that distinction in one sentence and still reach the same scope.
What changes if the request is a subpoena?
Nearly everything before the scope step. A subpoena signed by an attorney is not a court order, and the federal rule attaches conditions, such as notice to the patient or a protective order, before records can answer it. State rules add their own requirements in many places. The finished case would then document which condition was met, or why the department wrote back instead.
Where can I find a free HI135 Unit 3 sample paper?
This page holds the complete Unit 3 case note, with each part of the chart and the reason it was released or held.
Does an attorney's letter override the patient's authorization?
No. The authorization signed by the patient sets the scope, so anything outside its description or dates stays unless the patient signs again.