patient confidentiality
... At the same time, physicians are required to keep the patient’s information confidential. ... Thus, this brings the question of who is more important, the patient or society? Whose rights should be guarded and protected more, the patient’s or society’s? The recent advancement in technology, medicine and communications has not protected confidentiality; instead it has made the likelihood of a patient remaining completely anonymous very slim. The idea of full confidentiality, which is so blatantly argued for by some, is something that can never be achieved. While privacy and confidentiality protection is crucial for patients, it is also necessary to protect and inform third parties of possible threats of harm or exposure to diseases. Physicians have always had an obligation and duty to maintain their patients confidentiality. The obligation of confidentiality dates back to the Hippocratic oath in which the physician swears “whatever, in connection with my professional service…I see or hear, in the life of men, which ought not be spoken abroad, I will not divulge, as reckoning that all such should be kept secret”. In essence, the physician’s obligation to maintain confidentiality requires that physicians may not disclose any information discovered by the doctor or revealed by the patient. In addition, according to the American Medical Association maintaining patient confidentiality is a legal as well as an ethical duty. The essence of maintaining patient confidentiality is to allow and encourage patients to feel free to make a full and frank disclosure of information to the physician with the knowledge that the physician will protect and respect the confidential nature of the information disclosed. ... As explained by the AMA, the physician should not disclose any confidential information except with patient consent or without patient consent only in cases of dire need. Trust is what often binds patient and doctors. ... They are reluctant to share all information and try to get away with sharing the least amount of information possible, as patients fear that confidentiality may be broken by doctors. ... On a personal note, I have refused to receive treatment from a physician since he would not promise confidentiality. Since I felt that it was my right to ask for confidentiality, I researched the local health clinics in my area and found a clinic that would not send my file to my family practitioner.