Achieving A Balance between Ethical and Legal Obligations with Regard to Confidentiality and Patient Privacy

• Published in: Amrita Journal of Medicine
• Main Authors: Olaolorunpo Olorunfemi, Elizabeth O Oyegoke, Oluwaseun O. Abiodun, Funmilola B. Kunle-Abioye, Bamidele A. Ayeni
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2024-07-01
• Subjects: balance; confidentiality; ethical obligations; legal obligations; patient’s privacy
• Online Access: https://journals.lww.com/amjm/fulltext/2024/20030/achieving_a_balance_between_ethical_and_legal.2.aspx

Patient privacy and confidentiality are crucial components in healthcare that help to uphold patients’ rights and dignity. To protect these, healthcare workers have to frequently strike a balance between their moral and legal responsibilities. With this in mind, this review article seeks to give an overview of patient privacy and confidentiality. The data for this article comes from prior research, surveys, and established theories. The salient findings were as follows: Patients and healthcare providers alike may suffer grave consequences from violations by personnel. Reluctance to seek medical attention could result from patients losing faith in the healthcare system. If medical personnel breach patient confidentiality, they could be subject to ethical and legal repercussions. Healthcare practitioners must uphold legal obligations and make sure they adhere to privacy policies and procedures in order to safeguard patient information. In compliance with data protection law, nurses and other healthcare professionals are advised to securely store and safeguard patient records to prevent loss, theft, and unauthorized disclosure. We also advise them to use only the patient information they collect for the purposes for which it was provided or where sharing is mandated by law. In summary, upholding privacy and confidentiality in the healthcare industry requires a careful balancing act between moral and legal requirements.