In which situation can the information of a deceased patient be released to the spouse?

The correct answer is based on the premise of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations regarding the release of health information of deceased patients. When a patient passes away, their protected health information (PHI) continues to be protected under HIPAA. However, the privacy rules do allow for certain disclosures of this information to family members and spouses under specific circumstances.

In the case where the spouse was involved in the patient's care before death, the healthcare provider may disclose the deceased patient’s information to the spouse. This involvement implies that the spouse had an active role in the patient's treatment and, thus, may have a legitimate interest in understanding the medical information related to the patient's care. This scenario aligns with the intention of HIPAA to ensure that family members involved in a patient's care can continue to receive information that may affect their understanding of the patient's health history and ongoing care needs, even after the patient's death.

The other scenarios provided for consideration also have relevant aspects, but they do not universally guarantee the same level of access to the deceased patient's information. Therefore, the involvement in the patient's care is a key factor that justifies the sharing of information with the spouse while adhering to HIPAA guidelines.