Sorry I couldn’t word that better, but I don’t know the proper term. My vocabulary is kind of limited and I have trouble putting thoughts into words.
I always see stuff about this rule, but I don’t really understand it. You can’t talk about what’s said during this appointment, but what does that entail? And what are the exceptions to this rule, because I think there are, right?
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you’re referring to HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) laws, specifically the Privacy law. basically it means health professionals cannot, by law, discuss any parts of your health and healthcare that would identify you or give information to people/organizations who you did not authorize to have that information.
In the US, at least, there is doctor/patient privilege which protects the patient from their medical records and information being used against them in court. It does prevent you from discussing the same thing with other people. It just prevents the doctor from sharing your medical details with others without your permission.
The rule is for the medical personnel, not for you. You can talk about your doctor visits in full detail. Your doctor cannot go out and tell people about what you spoke about. Well, they can, but they can only say “a patient of mine”, not your name or other identifying information.
Say the reason you’re going to your doctor was because of an infection caused by dirty needles when you injected heroin. You can tell your doctor that because he will not call the cops for drug use.
Now if anytime the doctor believes you are a danger to yourself, others or children he is compelled to report.
But if you cut your hand in a B and E your doctor is under no obligation to report to the police.
That is the concept of patient confidentiality. You’re supposed to trust doctors with private things about your life and health, things that if leaked could be used against you or be in some way prejudicial to you. Basically, doctors have to guarantee your privacy and protection and aren’t allowed to divulge information learned through the practice of their profession unless it’s a legally permitted thing.
The exceptions change from place to place, also might be some more generic, like needing a court order to break the confidentiality.
Depending on where you are, there may be exceptions.
This confidentiality clause can be excepted in situations where a person discloses their intent to harm themselves or others, or if they admit to certain criminal actions. For example, child sexual abuse often falls under a ‘mandatory reporting’ clause, which obligated health practitioners to report it regardless of confidentiality rules.
Along with the other answers, there are times when this can be broken. But only if it’s determined that you are a threat to yourself or others and only to the point that threat is eliminated. For example, they can start an involuntary hold or contact the police.
It is called medical confidentiality”generally and “Physician–patient privilege” in legal context.
The gist of it is that people need to be honest with their doctors, and without such guarantees, patients might conceal some facts that are very relevant to their treatment – say, someone comes with high/irregular heartbeat to ER, he denies taking speed, due to being afraid of potential police action afterwards, doctors misdiagnose as a result of…
Punishment for doctors who break it vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but are generally very severe, including revoking their medical license.
The only exception is if the information disclosed is a clear and imminent danger to others – imagine someone telling their therapist that they are planning going on shooting spree once the session ends…
In the US, your medical information is private. Nobody should be looking at your medical records unless they have medical need to or you have allowed them to. Employees who access medical records that they have no reason to are at risk of being fired. Health institutions are pretty strict about it. Like, my wife works in a hospital and has access to the medical records for the doctor I go to. Even if I asked her to, she can’t just go log in and look at my records. It’s gonna throw up a flag that she was looking at the records of a patient she had no reason to be looking at.
Doctors want you to be as honest with them as possible so they can best treat you. If you are afraid they’ll go blabbing about embarrassing or whatever things you tell them, you’re not likely to tell them. If I use some illegal drug, I can tell them I do because I don’t have to worry about them turning around and telling the police what I told them.
These rules are for people in the medical & insurance field. YOU can say whatever you want about your visit. It’s YOUR information. You are under no obligation to not talk about anything you experience at a doctors office or hospital. Sure, it might make you an ass to talk about certain things and it may mean a given office will no longer accept you as a patient, but you can do it.
Ok, I got you.
Patient confidentiality is both one of the five major ethical principles and a legal obligation on the part of all medical professionals and offices. It is taken very seriously. As a default, your presence at a doctor’s office or clinic, your status as a patient, what procedures or tests were done and their results, and anything you say are strictly between you and your doctor (and your insurance company, in America. I have many strong feelings about this, mostly rage).
This means the doctor has a duty to ensure this privacy as much as they reasonably can. Some things are known exceptions: obviously, if someone recognizes you in the waiting room of a doctor’s office, there’s not much to be done about that. But when calling you in, they shouldn’t mention what you’re there for.
Doctors are mandated reporters for some things. If the patient is an immediate danger to themself or to others, that must be reported, breaking autonomy. Likewise, in the case of abuse, neglect, or rape of a child or an adult who does not have the mental capacity to look after themself, the doctor must break confidentiality to report this. These are exceptions because they directly prevent criminal harm.
These are the big two. Basically any other case, the doctor must keep silent, or even lie, to protect privacy. A doctor can be looking directly at you and would still tell someone calling on the phone “I’m not sure if that person has ever been to this hospital”. Even someone like your parent or spouse.
Of course, you can then say “it’s okay to talk about my health with this person”. This typically happens by appointing a next-of-kin, specifically telling your doctor who it’s okay to talk with, or bringing them in the room with you. For example, someone giving birth brings her husband in the birthing room, she does so under the expectation that her husband will be exposed to some of her medical history.
For the sake of clarity, this is a responsibility of healthcare professionals (and to a degree their support staff–the receptionist is also bound to privacy). **If you are a patient, you are always allowed to talk about whatever you want with whoever you want.** Likewise, if, say, your parent or boss shares your private medical information with people, that’d be super rude of them but not illegal.
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