‘PATIENT CONFIDENTIALITY' part 3

 

Consequences of disclosing patient confidentiality

Disclosing patient’s confidentiality can have a number of consequences to the patient, to the health care provider such as doctor or nurse, and also to the health care institution. 

For the patient, without an assurance that confidentiality will be maintained, patient might be less willing to disclose information, resulting in obstacles to their effective care. It may be not a disastrous for this case, where Mr. M only had seizure secondary to stroke, but if patient involved is a mental illness patient who needs special concern for privacy, he/she will suffer because of stigma, shame, feeling of failure, and possible detrimental effects if their mental and emotional conditions were to be known. Loss of employment, public embarrassment, disrupted relationships, and loss of insurability are among the potential consequences that people fear. Even worse if the disclosure affects the course of psychotherapy, where complete open-ness and honesty are vital to the treatment process. For these reason, patient clearly must aware that the ethics of the profession prohibit the practitioner from disclosing any information obtained through the physician-patient relationship.

For the health care provider, disciplinary action can be taken by the employer of the health care provider who made the disclosure, such as the hospital director. This is because an action for damage can be taken by patient not only against the person who made the disclosure but the employer also can be charge. Besides, the person who made the disclosure will be put in disciplinary proceeding under the health professional’s regulatory statute. That is why doctors should be aware of the basic principles of confidentiality and the ethical and legal framework around which they are built. Despite this frightening condition, ethical duty of confidentiality is not absolute^. Legal or statutory requirements sometimes override the limit of patient-doctor confidentiality ^. However patient’s consent should be taken first. If it is not possible to take patient’s consent due to certain condition, patient at least has to be told about the disclosure of their confidentiality.

               

                For the health care institution, once patient unwilling to disclose their history of illness because of no assurance in confidentiality, their treatment will be affected. This will give negative effects for their health, for public health and for health and social care practice. Imagine what will happen if failure of obtaining enough history of illness made the health care provider unable to diagnose an infectious disease that eventually spread to others. The health care that treats the patient will have to bear responsibility for these consequences.

                

 Due to these reasons yet other minor reasons as well, it is very important for both doctor and patient to understand well the principles of confidentiality to prevent unwanted consequences that will eventually discredit health care institution.