Because of the sensitive nature of health care information, physicians generally must obtain patient consent before disclosing patient records to third parties. The theory of informed consent to release of information originates in the concept of informed consent to medical treatment. Medical and research codes, as well as Federal regulations, have traditionally emphasized the elements of disclosure, voluntariness, comprehension, and competence to consent. For there to be informed consent to medical treatment, the act of consent must be genuinely voluntary, and there must be adequate disclosure of information to the patient about what is to be done. Patients must comprehend what they are being told about the procedure or treatment, and be competent to consent to the procedure.