Duty to Warn Genetic testing has provided individuals the opportunity to make life saving choices in their health care. If a family member is made aware of a genetic condition such as breast cancer and understands that her sisters and their daughters could also be at risk for the same genetic condition, she is obligated to discuss this with them. I couldn’t imagine someone being resistant in providing lifesaving information. My opinion is the majority of people would be more than happy to share this information. For those who chose to keep the information confidential I find this to be a selfish decision. However, as a healthcare professional it is important to avoid judging the patient. I must provide respect and support. Education is a
I think it’s a part of the doctors’ responsibility to keep a good professional relationship with one’s patients. Collins states “those who do not want to know, and who if they were told would be injured by it; those who are wholly incapable of receiving the truth.” (pg.193). Going back to the client relationship models Collins believes that doctors should use a parent model on their patients. The parent model is when doctors have more experience and knowledge that they use to make decisions without telling the patients about their own health as if they were a child. This model and view basically strips the patient from autonomy and the choice of making his or her own decisions. In a whole, this premise is wrong because patients should have the right to make their own decisions when it comes to their own health.
Confidentiality in the Healthcare arena can be simply defined as the moral and ethical duty of the Practitioner to keep all the patient’s bio-data under lock and key, and offer a disclosure of those facts that the patient is legally mandated to disclose or deems fit to enhance their positive health outcome. According to the Segen’s Medical Dictionary, “Confidentiality is the ethical principle that a physician may not reveal any information disclosed in the course of medical care, unless the patient who disclosed that information poses a threat to him, herself or others’’
It’s the nurse’s responsibility to keep the information private. It would be appropriate for the nurse to inform a person or family member only if they are authorized to have the patient’s information. Divulging patient information may also be appropriate when given permission by the patient to do
Roles and responsibility of the work are adhered to. Personal information about patient are kept confidential except where it is necessary with other staff that care for the same patient or to the health care team attending to them.
Seeing information about a healthcare user in such terms makes me realise that some information is not necessarily in the public domain and therefore I have a privilege and responsibility to not only care for the patient but also for the knowledge about them that I am privy to. I realise that, although I have a duty to retain confidentiality, I may be placed in a position where the confidence has to also include other healthcare professionals and I need to involve the patient in such a situation (ibid).
In the medical practice, keeping confidential is strictly requested for physicians, as it favors positive communication between physicians and the patients they take care, leading to a good, long-term physician-patient
Although Immanuel Kant believes truth should be always be told despite the circumstances, is it really in the best interest of the patient in a medical setting? Physicians have a duty to the patient to take care of their wellbeing and that is why they take the Hippocratic Oath. Sometimes you have to be wishy washy with the truth, but only when it is in the interest of the patient and it depends case by case. Bad news can cause a patient to feel hopeless, fearful, and depressive which may cause other problems in any procedure. Kant also argues that confidentiality gives the patient autonomy and self-determination. Full disclosure would help the patient understand the severity of the case and thus, make better decisions in regards to their health.
Confidentiality is critical for nursing professional to understand and undertake. If a nurse did not keep a
With this special bonding, if an individual was tested positive for BRCA1/2 mutation, it will be a great indicator that someone in the family also carries the mutated gene. There is a moral argument for whether it is obligated to share the genetic information with relatives who may potentially be at risk; however, this decision can violate patient autonomy and confidentiality. Studies have shown that most mutation carriers do not share this information with his/her family member, because it can cause tension in the relationship. In addition, if the mutation carrier decided to receive therapeutic treatment such as BRMx or BROx, the decision that the carrier made can further introduce suspicions and questions from the
Embryonic screening allows for the elimination of inherited diseases before birth or a treatment plan before birth. In breast cancer patients, genetic testing allows the physician to know if chemotherapy is necessary, which would expand treatment options. Genetic testing could eliminate years of experimental testing and medication use used to diagnose a new disease. Overall, genetic testing is in alignment with the core medical philosophy that early prevention leads to early treatment, which leads to an overall better outcome for the patient.
Not to mention opening an Electronic Health Record (HER) and seeing diagnosis that could impact the family dynamics should that be shared with the family? If the patient was coherent would they have shared it?
Confidentiality is a concept of vast importance for professionals in the medical field. It is a professional obligation in this field and is considered to be an ethical concept that falls in line with integrity, compassion, veracity, charity, and fidelity as explained in both the International Council of Nurses Code for Nurses (1973) and the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics (1985). However, in today’s ever growing world of technology and demand for information, challenges continue to arise that force doctors and nurses to reexamine virtues such as confidentiality.
Throughout I will maintain all individuals who were involved confidentiality in accordance with Nursing And Midwifery Council; the code of conduct (NMC,2010) states that all practitioners must respect people’s right to confidentiality
Health care professionals are subject to a multitude of professional, legal, and ethical responsibilities which call for personal judgment to be utilized in such a manner as to protect clients as well as public wellness and interests. Overall considerations in handling such duties may be considered to be respect of a client’s autonomy, confidence, and recognition of obligations owed to all clients. While the aforementioned acts fall within the professional realm, there are also legal implications that guide care. Therefore, it can be said that ethical considerations occur in observation of legal responsibilities. Confidential information is perceived as private facts which are disclosed with the
Confidentiality is considered a core value or principal in the medical practice. Confidentiality is a right that all people have within the medical field. This is the requirement of health care providers to keep a person’s information exclusive unless the patient or the person consents in the form of a release to share that information with other people that practice. Usually the consent is given when a doctor wants to consult with a different doctor for example. In this case it would be for the betterment of the person.