Featured News 2013 Breaching Doctor-Patient Confidentiality

Breaching Doctor-Patient Confidentiality

When you go to the doctor's office too disclose a medical condition, your doctor has the responsibility to keep all conversations that you have between you and him or her private. You may need to disclose very secret details about your life for the sake of your health, and a doctor has the responsibility to keep all of those details a secret. Doctor-patient confidentiality is very important. If patients can't trust their physicians, then they may refrain from even visiting a doctor's office when they are in need.

The professional duty of confidentiality covers not only what a patient may reveal to a doctor, but also what that doctor may independently conclude or form an opinion about based on his or her observations of the patient. The confidentiality involves all medical records, and the confidentiality of all conversations that take place between the patient and doctor. Also, the confidentiality covers all conversations that patients may have with other medical staff that are working with the doctor.

Once a doctor takes on a patient's case, he or she cannot divulge any medical information about the patient too any third persons without the patient's consent. A breach of confidentiality occurs if the doctor or any other medical staff discloses private information to third party without the patient's consent. There are limited exceptions to this situation. For example, state health officials have the right to gather information about a patient's condition and court orders requiring medical records to be produces will usurp the breach of confidentiality mandate.

Patient confidentiality is a right that is protected by state law. This means that if your private information is disclosed without your permission, you can take up the issue with the courts. If you are injured emotionally or physically after your condition is disclosed, then you can seek damages as a result. A patient can typically take action against the medical provider for the offense of malpractice and can also seek compensation for the invasion of privacy. If the patient consented to the disclosure then there is no case. Even if the patient did not who would learn about the details of his or her condition, consent negates an individual's ability to file a lawsuit.

Doctor-patient confidentiality is supposed to last even after a patient has stopped seeing the doctor or has stopped being treated by the doctor. In some cases, confidentiality agreements can last even after the patient's death. This means that if a patient passes away, then his or her medical records are still protected by doctor-patient confidentiality. If your loved one died and his or her medical records were released, you may be able to seek compensation on behalf of your loved one for a breach of duty.

You need to be able to trust the medical staff that is working with you. If you need assistance in a medical malpractice case because of a breach of confidentiality, then you need to hire a local medical malpractice attorney today. Medical malpractice cases are serious. While most people think of medical malpractice offenses as surgery errors or misdiagnosis, courts will considered doctor-patient confidentiality cases with the same attention that they give to other areas of medical malpractice. Whether your doctor told a friend about your condition casually, or revealed your condition to the press because of your position as a celebrity or public figure, you can seek compensation if he or she violated the agreement that was established at the start of your professional relationship. Please our website to locate a medical malpractice attorney that is located close to you and get started on your case.

Related News:

Medical Malpractice Claims and Misdiagnosed Cancer

Even if you can prove that a doctor mistakenly gave or missed a cancer diagnosis, this does not automatically mean that they committed malpractice. It depends on whether or not the doctor violated the ...
Read More »

Understanding Emergency Medical Malpractice

When it comes to medical emergencies, malpractice is going to look a little differently than say your average surgical error made by a doctor who was under the influence. Emergency medical care ...
Read More »

Infant Breathing Product Recalled for Malfunctions

Every year, the Food and Drug Administration discovers new products with dangers attached. When you purchase a medical device at the recommendation of a doctor, you expect that that device is going to ...
Read More »