Who can you disclose patient information to?
Patient information should only be disclosed to other people with the patient’s consent or if there are legally permitted circumstances, and there can be quite a few circumstances that justify the disclosure of information. You need to be aware of when these could apply in your dental practice.
When should confidentiality be broken?
What Constitutes a Breach of Confidentiality? A breach of confidentiality occurs when a patient’s private information is disclosed to a third party without their consent. There are limited exceptions to this, including disclosures to state health officials and court orders requiring medical records to be produced.
Who does patient confidentiality apply to?
1. When healthcare practitioners share information within the healthcare team. All members of staff who provide care to the patient are bound by a duty of confidentiality and the patient should be informed of this.
What are the rules of patient confidentiality?
It requires health care providers to keep a patient’s personal health information private unless consent to release the information is provided by the patient. Why is confidentiality important? Patients routinely share personal information with health care providers.
When should you divulge information?
Confidentiality applies after a patient’s death – generally, information should only be disclosed to third parties with the consent of the deceased patient’s next of kin or executors. Exceptions to this rule include if information is required for an inquest.
When can we disclose information?
You can use or disclose health information where it is unreasonable or impracticable to obtain consent to the use or disclosure, and you reasonably believe the use or disclosure is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to the life, health or safety of any individual, or to public health or safety.
What happens when a doctor breaks confidentiality?
A breach of doctor-patient confidentiality can be considered malpractice; therefore, inappropriate disclosures of information can be grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit. Depending on how atrocious the disclosure was, it may be possible to recover compensatory damages for the consequences of the breach.
What happens if a doctor breach patient confidentiality?
If a doctor breaches the confidential relationship by disclosing protected information, the patient may be entitled to bring a lawsuit against the doctor. The patient may be able to recover compensatory damages, including emotional suffering and damage to reputation resulting from the disclosure.
Do doctors withhold information from patients?
“The therapeutic privilege permits physicians to tailor (and even withhold) information when, but only when, its disclosure would so upset a patient that he or she could not rationally engage in a conversation about therapeutic options and consequences”.
What information is confidential in healthcare?
All identifiable patient information, whether written, computerised, visually or audio recorded, or simply held in the memory of health professionals, is subject to the duty of confidentiality. This includes: any clinical information about an individual’s diagnosis or treatment.
Is informed consent required?
Informed consent is mandatory for all clinical trials involving human beings. The consent process must respect the patient’s ability to make decisions and adhere the individual hospital rules for clinical studies.
What are the exceptions to patient confidentiality that are legally required of a physician?
Exceptions to Doctor-Patient Confidentiality A physician or other medical personnel is treating injuries that could prompt a criminal investigation (gunshot wounds, suspected child abuse, intoxication-related car accident injuries, etc.) The patient is a danger to themselves or others.
When is a physician prevented from revealing confidential information?
In the typical physician-patient privilege a physician is prevented from revealing confidential information unless the patient does what to his or her privilege against disclosure? With an integrated health record, the patient is represented by a ___________record that includes all outpatient and inpatient activity.
What happens to patient confidentiality when a patient dies?
The duty of confidentiality continues even after a patient has stopped seeing or being treated by that particular doctor. The duty even survives the death of a patient. That means if the patient passes away, his or her medical records and information are still protected by doctor-patient confidentiality.
Is the physician-patient privilege applicable in criminal cases?
It Has Limits: The Federal Rules of Evidence (U.S.) does not recognize the physician-patient privilege in criminal matters. At a state level, the concept has limits based on the laws of applicable For example, the state of Texas limits doctor-patient privilege to civil cases and constricts its applicability in criminal proceedings.
What is doctor-patient confidentiality?
What is Doctor-Patient Confidentiality? Doctor-patient confidentiality is based on the notion that a person shouldn’t be worried about seeking medical treatment for fear that his or her condition will be disclosed to others.