GMC guidance: Confidentiality Flashcards
Patients’ right to privacy
Doctors must respect patients’ right to privacy and should not disclose their personal information without consent, unless required by law or justified by the public interest.
Obtaining consent
Whenever possible, doctors should obtain explicit consent from patients before disclosing their information. The consent should be informed and given freely, and patients should understand the potential consequences of sharing their information.
Anonymization
When using patient information for purposes such as teaching, research, or quality improvement, doctors should anonymize the data whenever possible to protect patients’ identities.
Disclosures in the public interest
In exceptional circumstances, doctors may disclose patient information without consent if it is in the public interest, such as to prevent serious harm to others or in response to communicable diseases that pose a risk to public health.
Legal requirements
Doctors must comply with legal requirements to disclose patient information, such as court orders or statutory reporting obligations.
Confidentiality after death
Doctors should continue to respect patients’ confidentiality even after their death, unless there are compelling reasons to disclose information.
Sharing information with the healthcare team
Doctors may share patient information within the healthcare team on a need-to-know basis to provide safe and effective care.
Record-keeping
Doctors should maintain accurate, up-to-date, and secure records to protect patient information and ensure its confidentiality.
Communicating with patients
Doctors should communicate openly and honestly with patients about their right to confidentiality and how their information may be used.
Working with third parties
When working with third parties, such as insurers or employers, doctors should ensure that they have appropriate consent from patients before sharing their information.
