Confidentiality Challenges in Healthcare: A Detailed Analysis Report

This report delves into the crucial topic of confidentiality within the healthcare sector, focusing on a case study involving a patient diagnosed with chlamydia and HIV. It examines the ethical and legal implications of maintaining patient privacy versus the need to disclose information to protect others, such as the patient's wife and current partner. The analysis incorporates key elements of the Data Protection Act (GDPR) and working codes of ethics, emphasizing the importance of balancing confidentiality with the potential risks of non-disclosure. The report highlights the complexities faced by healthcare professionals in situations where patient decisions regarding information sharing can have significant consequences for third parties. It concludes with a discussion on the responsibilities of both patients and healthcare providers in navigating these sensitive issues to ensure the well-being of all parties involved. The report underscores the necessity of sharing medical information with those directly affected, while also considering the patient's right to privacy and the potential for discrimination.

Task 13-
Confidentiality

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Identify and analyse the issues surrounding confidentiality within this case study....................1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................3
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................3

INTRODUCTION
Confidentiality can be defined as the state where person shares their secret with the intent
that information will not be shared to any of other person. It is among the important terms that
there are some of the situation where information must be kept as a secret (Mohammadi and et.
al., 2017). In context of the file, one of the case study will be solved which will be related with
confidentiality. Some of the important law and policies will be explained such as data protection
act and working code of ethics.
MAIN BODY
Identify and analyse the issues surrounding confidentiality within this case study.
Case Study: The given case study is related with Mr. Andrew Johnson who visits sexual
health clinic where it was found that he was suffering from chlamydia and HIV positive. He has
his wife who is pregnant and after that he separated from her and started to live with another
partner. Dr. Hope advised him to forward the information to GP but still he refused to discuss the
information because it might affect him through discrimination.
Relevant law and Policies which is connected with Case Studies
Data Protection Act (GDPR): It is explained as the law which has been commenced by
the European Union for United Kingdom. The main purpose behind the commencement of this
respective law was just to ensure that data should not be leaked to any of the those person due to
which person might have to suffer. According to this particular act, some of the main area which
needs to be considered is related with Biometric data, racial or ethnic data, health and genetic
data, sexual orientation and many more. All of those law and policies are important because it
can certainly help to maintain transparency (Romdhani, 2017). The data protection act also says
that there are those confidential information which must not be shared to any of the person
because of higher probability of arising of discrimination. But, at the same time it is quite
important to understand that any of those information which are confidential in nature must be
shared with the person who might be affected of it. It is because directly or indirectly that
particular decision may create issue for the other person as well. For example: James is suffering
from any of the serious nature of disease which can be transmitted to third party then in that
respective condition, it is necessary for the health practitioner that they must share this
information with their life partner because they are the one who comes in contact with James on
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a daily basis. The main purpose of sharing this sort of confidential information is just to ensure
that disease will not be transferred to any of third party in this particular case.
Working Code of Ethics: Code of ethics can be explained as the process which simply
says about the process which an organisation or any of the particular centre needs to follow. In
any of the circumstances, role of ethics is huge because it simply guides that how any of the
work needs to be done (Zucker and et. al., 2019). Although, breach of ethics rules might affect
other person so it essential for the person to understand that in any of the situation they will not
take any of those decision due to which person might have to suffer. In context of health sector,
it is said that health practitioner must share the information about the health condition to the
family member and other person who might get affected from the disease.
Analysis to the case according to law and policies
Looking at the above mentioned law and policies, it is necessary for any of the person to
understand that any of the information should not be shared to any outsiders as it affect the
confidentiality. But at the same time, it is necessary to share information to family members
because it may affect their life as well. Here, Mr. Johnson is not willing to share information to
GP which is quite adjustable because it may develop negative impact on his life because people
living with and near him might discriminate him because of the disease.
On the other side, it was found that Mr. Johnson is not interest to share information about
HIV with current partner with whom he is living currently but, it is necessary to understand for
him that HIV is among the disease which can be transmitted. Looking at the circumstance, it is
necessary for Mr. Johnson to share information to his partners (Dheensa, Fenwick and Lucassen,
2017). This will certainly help her to reduce the chances of transferring the disease. Also, Mr.
Johnson must share the information about his medical issue with wife because she is pregnant
too. Even it will allow her to get check up to ensure that whether same disease has been
transferred to her or not. But, if in case Mr. Johnson do not share information with both partner
and his wife then in that respective condition he can be punished because of the connection
which is being hold by partner and his wife.
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CONCLUSION
From the above discussion, it is concluded that any of the confidential information must
not be shared with those person due to which others life get affected. But, at the same time it
needs to understand that person should be able to share all of those information with that person
who is connected with those confidential information. If any of the information is not shared
with connected person then their life might get affected. Even health practitioner also has the
right to share information if in case patient do not share the health issue. But, only those
information should be shared with family member where their life might get affected if
information will not be shared.
REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Mohammadi, M. and et. al., 2017. Patients' attitudes about privacy and confidentiality in selected
hospitals in Tehran. Iranian Journal of Medical Ethics and History of Medicine, 9(6),
pp.5-19.
Dheensa, S., Fenwick, A. and Lucassen, A., 2017. Approaching confidentiality at a familial level
in genomic medicine: a focus group study with healthcare professionals. BMJ
open, 7(2), p.e012443.
Zucker, N. A. and et. al., 2019. Confidentiality in the doctor-patient relationship: Perspectives of
youth ages 14-24 years. The Journal of pediatrics, 213, pp.196-202.
Romdhani, I., 2017. Confidentiality and Security for IoT Based Healthcare. Securing the Internet
of Things, pp.133-139.
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