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There are three types of confidentiality: 1. A person is obliged to keep information about another person in confidence if that information could hurt that person in any way. We are obliged to keep knowledge of a co-worker being in the hospital from others at work since this may cause him unnecessary embarrassment. This does not hold true if we have knowledge that a person with AIDS plans to donate blood, despite discouragement. We have an obligation to notify the Red Cross to prevent harm to recipients of the blood.2. One is obliged to keep a "secret" if he has promised to keep the information secret. Once again, if a person informs us that he intends to kill someone, we are justified in revealing that information. 3. In professional scenarios, not only does a breach of confidentiality hurt individuals--it hur
While reading the following case scenarios and discussion, remember that there is no right or wrong answer when discussing ethical dilemmas. Truth telling derives from the principle of autonomy. Patients have a right to be informed of the truth of their situation, diagnosis, treatment, hazards, uncertainties and prognosis (6,8). Other instances when patient confidentiality can be shared include proportionate risks such as informing a wife that her husband has HIV. To deny a patient this information mocks the dignity of the individual. Obviously, informed consent requires explicit truthfulness, but a patient also has a right to truthful information even in situations that do not require informed consent. Obviously there are instances when sharing information is necessary, such as in medical consults. However, the patient should be informed and permission should be obtained. These issues have exacerbated many ethical tensions already found in health care. There is a non-medical need for the patient to have this information to make non-medical decisions regarding financial and personal affairs, reconciliation with enemies or estranged family members, or to make peace with God. A patient with a fatal prognosis of a disease has a right to know this information. Dilemmas are in and of themselves situations or problems without clear solutionsEthical dilemmas have always been common among healthcare professionals, but healthcare ethics have taken on an increasingly important role in the discussion and protection of patient's rights and interests. The patient's bill of rights (1999) explicitly protects patients from disclosure of their medical information. Conditions regarding proportionate risk include: · an identifiable third party at risk · belief that the risk is significant · belief that the third party does not know he is at risk · the patient being treated refuses to tell the third party · the treated patient is notified and there is a written record (1) Court-imposed exceptions or proper statutory exceptions also exist (5).
Common topics in this essay:
HIV Conditions,
Red Cross,
Confidentiality Truthfulness,
third party,
ethical dilemmas,
health care,
party risk ·,
third party risk,
risk ·,
information non-medical,
informed consent,
healthcare workers,
party risk,
person obliged,
healthcare worker,
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