Medical Confidentiality Flashcards
What is the dictionary definition of Confidentiality?
The state of keeping/being kept secret
What are the key factors promised in the hippocratic oath?
Solidarity with teachers Beneficence, non-maleficence Do not assist with suicide or abortion Leave surgery to surgeons Not to harm or seduce Maintain confidentiality
What factors cause difficulty with the hippocratic oath in modern medicine?
Uncompromising stance on abortion and euthanasia
What are the four domains of GMC: good medical practice?
- Knowledge, skills and performance
- Safety and quality
- Communication, partnership and teamwork
- Maintaining trust
How may a lack of confidentiality affect a patient?
Patient may seek avoiding medical help
Patient may under-report symptoms
Lacking these details may put the patient at harm, as their information will not be up to date
Confidentiality extends to which patients?
Everyone - including the dead
Medical confidentiality is based on what?
The law of contract and equity
Breach confidentiality means breaching of contract
When must a doctor disclose confidential information?
Never - unless there is a legal basis to do so
What is meant by the Common Law?
Information acquired by doctors falls under common law, a series of court judgements have established the principles under which information should or should not be disclosed
What is the GDPR?
The New General Data Protection Regulations - 2018
What is the role of the GDPR?
Provide rights for individuals
Defines personal data as any information which can be related to an IDENTIFIABLE person
What are the principles of the GDPR?
Personal Data must be:
- Processed lawfully, fairly and transparently
- Processed for specified and legitimate purposes
- Adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary
- Accurate and up to date
- Not kept for longer than necessary
- Secure
What are the 8 GMC principles of confidentiality?
a. Use minimum necessary information
b. Manage and protect information
c. Be aware of responsibilities
d. Comply with law
e. Share relevant information for direct care
f. Ask for explicit consent
g. Tell patients
h. Supports patients to access their own information
When is relying on GDPR consent required for data controllers?
Implied consent
When should confidentiality be breached?
- Patient’s consent
- With other medics in the patients interest
- In the doctors defence
- Statutory requirements - serious crime
- Directed by court of law
- Protection of other persons
- Public interest
- Child abuse
You CAN REFUSE to give information
