Confidentiality Flashcards
How is confidentiality defined?
The state of keeping or being kept secret or private
What are the 4 pillars of medical ethics?
Beneficence
Non-maleficence
Autonomy
Justice
Where are core values and principles of UK doctors found?
GMCs ‘Good Medical Practice’
What are the 4 domains in GMCs Good Medical Practice?
Knowledge, skills, and performance
Safety and Quality
Communication, partnership, and teamwork
Maintaining trust
What are factors in maintaining trust in Good Medical Practice?
RESPECT RIGHT TO CONFIDENTIALITY
Treat patients as individuals and respect dignity
Show respect for patients
Treat patients politely and considerately
Treat patients and colleagues fairly and without discrimination
Act with honesty and integrity
Never abuse patients’ trust in you or the public’s trust in the profession
Why is it important to keep confidentiality?
Trust is an essential aspect of doctor-patient relationship and secrecy is central to this
Patients may avoid seeking medical help or may under-report symptoms if they think their personal info will be shared without their control
What is the one exception to the rule of ocnfidentiality?
Medical certificate of cause of death
How is personal data defined by GDPR?
Any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person
How is an identifiable natural person defined under GDPR?
A person who can be identified, directly or indirectly, by reference to an identifier such as a name, ID number, location data, online identifier, or factors specific to physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural, or social identity of that natural person
What are the 6 principles of data protection under the GDPR?
Personal data must:
Be processed lawfully, fairly, and in a transparent manner
Be processed for specified, explicit, and legitimate purposes and not in any matter incompatible with those purposes
Be adequate, relevant, and limited to what is necessary in relation to the purposes
Be accurate and up to date
Must not be kept for longer than is necessary
Be secure
What are the 8 principles of confidentiality in GMCs confidentiality guidance?
Use minimum necessary personal information
Manage and protect information
Be aware of your responsibilities
Comply with the law
Share relevant information for direct care
Ask for explicit consent
Tell patients
Support patients to access their information
What are 8 situations in which confidentiality can be breached? (THIS IS LIKELY TO COME UP)
With the patient’s consent
With other medical practitioners in the patient’s interest
In the doctor’s own defence
Statutory requirements - prevention, detection, and prosecution of serious crime
When directed to by a court of law
Protection of other persons
In the public interest - terrorism, murder, culpable homicide, rape
Child abuse
