Patient Confidentiality

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

1) Understand the meaning of patient confidentiality and its importance.

2) Review the guidelines from 'Achieving Good Medical Practice' regarding privacy and confidentiality in relation to the use of social media.

3) Be aware of where patient information can be found in a clinical setting.

All doctors have a duty of maintaining patient confidentiality; patients’ information should be kept private and not be disclosed outside the healthcare team. Medical professionals have the responsibility to uphold the integrity of their patients, especially since patients are often in vulnerable circumstances. Revealing personal details not only puts them at risk but is also a blatant breach of confidentiality. This could result in a lack of trust in the profession. Regardless of whether social media is involved, we should never disclose patients’ identifiable information without their consent. See how Good Medical Practice’s guidelines outline the duty of confidentiality.

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LO 1.1

Thomas, a second year medical student, was looking forward to his first day of placement. However, he encountered an unfortunate case and wanted to express his feelings...

Scenario 1

Sandra, a second year medical student, takes bloods for the first time on placement. She is really excited about this and decides to share this achievement with her friends.