Confidentiality With Children And Mentally Disable

1434 Words6 Pages
Confidentiality issues of a person’s health information are incomparably significant to any other personal issues. Even though the provision of care has always involved some kind of invasion of privacy, patients allow health care workers access to their most intimate information as they are seeking help and trust while having their best interest maintained. Therefore it is expected of health professionals to maintain confidentiality of information gained in a professional-client relationship. Nevertheless, there are times when health professionals are obliged to disclose information without consent. Queries on the strength and degree of circumstances that could override the duty of confidentiality are issues that are now more topical than ever. This paper will discuss the risks and weaknesses of losing patient’s confidentiality and problems of confidentiality faced in the current health care settings. Confidentiality Defined Confidentiality is often used in conjuncture with privacy and is mistaken to be similar but actually quite distinct. Confidentiality refers to the restriction of information given and is assumed to be kept secret, whereas, privacy refers to information about one’s self. ‘The word confidentiality derives from the Latin roots con – meaning completeness – and fidere – meaning to trust; hence to confide is to trust wholly or to impart knowledge with the reliance upon secrecy’ (Kerridge, 2005, p. 237). Throughout history till the present time, health care workers are expected to maintain confidentiality of personal information given to them by patients. It is essentially important as the promise of confidentiality encourages the candid communication between doctors and patients required for high quality care (Mulligan, 2001). The information deemed confidential which the patient shares with the health professional includes tests and procedures
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