Confidentiality
Patients routinely share personal information with health care providers. If the confidentiality of this information were not protected, trust in the physician-patient relationship would be diminished.
Patients would be less likely to share sensitive information, which could negatively impact their care. Why is confidentiality important?
Creating a trusting environment by respecting patient privacy encourages the patient to seek care and to be as honest as possible during the course of a health care visit. It may also increase the patient’s willingness to seek care.
For conditions that might be stigmatizing, such as reproductive, sexual, public health, and psychiatric health concerns, confidentiality assures that private information will not be disclosed to family or employers without their consent.
Review the principles of Autonomy, Trust, Justice and Fidelity.
Discuss what is confidentiality in regards to the medical record and why is it important?
Some questions you may want to answer:
What does the duty of confidentially require?
Are there exceptions to the confidentiality rules? What if a family member asks you for information?
How can we ensure patient medical records are secure?
What other kinds of disclosures are inappropriate?
When can confidentiality be breached?