New England Journal of Medicine · 1982 · 265 citations · 0 references
LawHealth LawPsychiatryElectronic Health RecordsMedical EthicsPatient RightsAccess To Medical RecordsConfidentiality Of RecordsData ConfidentialityPatient ConfidentialityPatient PrivacyProtected Health InformationAncient Medical TheoryAncient Medical ThoughtConfidentialityConfidentiality LawConfidentiality Of Medical RecordsMedical ConfidentialityPatient Information DisclosureProfessional Ethics Of Confidentiality
Medical confidentiality is an outdated principle that no longer exists in practice, with attempts to preserve it failing and psychiatrists creating separate secret records. The paper presents a case study showing systematic compromise of confidentiality in routine practice. No additional information provided.
Medical confidentiality, as it has traditionally been understood by patients and doctors, no longer exists. This ancient medical principle, which has been included in every physician's oath and code of ethics since Hippocratic times, has become old, worn-out, and useless; it is a decrepit concept. Efforts to preserve it appear doomed to failure and often give rise to more problems than solutions. Psychiatrists have tacitly acknowledged the impossibility of ensuring the confidentiality of medical records by choosing to establish a separate, more secret record. The following case illustrates how the confidentiality principle is compromised systematically in the course of routine . . .