Medical Confidentiality

Question 1

What is the Hippocratic oath?

Answer 1

An oath describing the basic ethics of medical practice and that lays down a moral code of conduct for doctors

Question 2

What are the 4 basic principles of medical ethics

Answer 2

Beneficence
Non-maleficence
Autonomy
Justice

Question 3

Describe the meaning of beneficence

Answer 3

To do good and avoid evil

Question 4

Describe the meaning of autonomy

Answer 4

Acknowledging a patients right to make their own choices,
to hold views, and to take actions based on
personal values and beliefs

Question 5

Describe the meaning of justice

Answer 5

Treat others equally and distribute

benefits/burdens fairly

Question 6

Describe the meaning of non maleficence

Answer 6

Don’t inflict harm intentionally

Question 7

What is the closest thing to the hippocratic oath in the UK?

Answer 7

GMC’s good medical practice document

Question 8

4 domains of good medical practice?

Answer 8

Knowledge, skills and performance
Safety and quality
Communication, partnership and teamwork
Maintaining trust

Question 9

What domain is confidentiality a part of?

Answer 9

Maintaining trust

Question 10

Why is confidentiality so important in maintaining trust

Answer 10

Patients may under-report symptoms or avoid medical help altogether if they think their personal info is at risk of being spread without consent

Question 11

Doctors are under both BLANK and BLANK duties to protect patients’ personal information from improper disclosure.

Answer 11

Ethical and Legal

Question 12

But BLANK BLANK BLANK is an essential part of the provision of safe and effective care, why?

Answer 12

Appropriate information sharing

Why - Patients may be put at risk if those who are providing their care do not have access to relevant, accurate and up-to-date information about them.

Question 13

Does confidentiality extend to children and the dead? Is there any exceptions?

Answer 13

Yes it does

Exception - medical certificate of death

Question 14

Medical confidentiality is based on the law of… meaning…

Answer 14

Law of contract and equity, meaning breach of confidentiality is a breach of contract

Question 15

When are re-partitive damages awarded against the doctor?

Answer 15

If the patient can demonstrate the he has suffered harm in the civil courts

Question 16

Information acquired by doctors in their professional capacity will generally
be confidential under the BLANK law

Answer 16

Common law

Question 17

When can a doctor disclose confidential info?

Answer 17

Only when there is a legal basis to do so

Question 18

What is the GDPR?

Answer 18

The new general data protection regulations that came into force 24th May 2018

Question 19

The GDPR defines personal data as…

Answer 19

any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person

Question 20

Situations where confidentiality can be breached?

Answer 20

With the patient’s consent
With other medical practitioners in the patient’s interest
In the doctors 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