Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 5119.27 – Confidentiality of records pertaining to identity, diagnosis or treatment

(A) Records or information, other than court journal entries or court docket entries, pertaining to the identity, diagnosis, or treatment of any person seeking or receiving services that are maintained in connection with the performance of any drug treatment program or services licensed by, or certified by, the director of mental health and addiction services under this chapter shall be kept confidential, may be disclosed only for the purposes and under the circumstances expressly authorized under this section, and may not otherwise be divulged in any civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceeding.
(B) When the person, with respect to whom any record or information referred to in division (A) of this section is maintained, gives consent in the form of a written release signed by the person, the content of the record or information may be disclosed if the written release conforms to all of the following:
1. (1) Specifically identifies the person, official, or entity to whom the information is to be provided;
2. (2) Describes with reasonable specificity the record, records, or information to be disclosed; and
3. (3) Describes with reasonable specificity the purposes of the disclosure and the intended use of the disclosed information.
(C) A person who is subject to a community control sanction, parole, or a post-release control sanction or who is ordered to rehabilitation in lieu of conviction, and who has agreed to participate in a drug treatment or rehabilitation program as a condition of the community control sanction, post-release control sanction, parole, or order to rehabilitation, shall be considered to have consented to the release of records and information relating to the progress of treatment, frequency of treatment, adherence to treatment requirements, and probable outcome of treatment. Release of information and records under this division shall be limited to the court or governmental personnel having the responsibility for supervising the person's community control sanction, post-release control sanction, parole, or order to rehabilitation. A person, described in this division, who refuses to allow disclosure may be considered in violation of the conditions of the person's community control sanction, post-release control sanction, parole, or order to rehabilitation.
(D) Disclosure of a person's record may be made without the person's consent to qualified personnel for the purpose of conducting scientific research, management, financial audits, or program evaluation, but these personnel may not identify, directly or indirectly, any individual person in any report of the research, audit, or evaluation, or otherwise disclose a person's identity in any manner.
(E) Upon the request of a prosecuting attorney or the director of mental health and addiction services, a court of competent jurisdiction may order the disclosure of records or information referred to in division (A) of this section if the court has reason to believe that a treatment program or facility is being operated or used in a manner contrary to law. The use of any information or record so disclosed shall be limited to the prosecution of persons who are or may be charged with any offense related to the illegal operation or use of the drug treatment program or facility, or to the decision to withdraw the authority of a drug treatment program or facility to continue operation. For purposes of this division the court shall:
1. (1) Limit disclosure to those parts of the person's record considered essential to fulfill the objective for which the order was granted;
2. (2) Require, where appropriate, that all information be disclosed in chambers;
3. (3) Include any other appropriate measures to keep disclosure to a minimum, consistent with the protection of the persons seeking or receiving services, the physician-patient relationship, and the administration of the drug treatment and rehabilitation program.
(F) As used in this section:
1. (1) "Community control sanction" has the same meaning as in section 2929.01 of the Revised Code.
2. (2) "Post-release control sanction" has the same meaning as in section 2967.01 of the Revised Code.