Healthcare workers have a duty to keep patient information confidential. The AMA Code of Medical Ethics and Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs state that information disclosed during the patient-physician relationship is confidential. Breaching confidentiality means disclosing information to a third party without patient consent. Federal and state laws, such as HIPAA, protect patient information including HIV/AIDS status, genetic screening results, mental health records, and substance abuse treatment. Failure to follow confidentiality rules and obtain proper consent may result in disciplinary actions including license revocation.

1. MHA 690 Health Care Capstone
Instructor: Hwang-Ji Lu
By
Beronica Woodson

2. Confidentiality in Healthcare
Healthcare workers have a duty to keep patient’s
information confidential.

3. AMA Code of Medical Ethics states ….
“Information disclosed to a physician during the course
of the patient-physician relationship is confidential to
the utmost degree”. (www.ama.assn.org)

4. AMA’s Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs states …
“The purpose of a physician’s ethical duty to maintain
patient confidentiality is to allow the patient to feel
free to make a full and frank disclosure of information
to physician with the knowledge that the physician
will protect the confidential nature of the information
disclosed”. (www.ama.assn.org)

5. Breach of Confidentiality …
is disclosing information to a third party without
the proper consent of the patient.

6. Breach of Confidentiality …
Not having the proper documentation or statement from the
patient to release medical information.
Federal and State Legislation protects patient’s information related to
 HIV test results
 Genetic Screening Information
 Mental Health Records
 Drugs and Alcohol Abuse Rehabilitation
Failure to get the appropriate release for medical records may have
serious results. Twenty-one states punish disclosure of confidential
information by revoking a physician's medical license or taking other
disciplinary action.

7. HIPPA
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
 of 1966 is a federal law about the privacy, confidentiality
and electronic security of protected health information
(also known as PHI)

8. HIPPA has two rules known as …
Privacy Rule
Applies to Protected Health Information (PHI) in any
form – written, stored electronically and spoken in
conversation.
Security Rule
Covers PHI that is electronically stored or transmitted

9. Confidential Rules, Laws
and
Regulations for Healthcare Workers
 Keep conversations on patient information to a private place so PHI cannot be overheard
 You must always ask the patient if it is okay to discuss their health information with other present
 Always protect PHI on computers by signing off when you are finished working
 Use the minimal amount of PHI in electronic communications and only to people a “need to know”
 Be sure to double check phone numbers when you’re faxing PHI or addresses when you’re mailing PHI
 Properly dispose of material containing PHI – not in public receptacles
 Don’t look up information about your family or your friends, other employees, people in the public
eye, or your own information either.
 Don’t look up patient information for research purposes without IRB approval
 Don’t share passwords or personal access codes that would permit access to confidential patient
information.

10. References
American Medical Association. 2012. “Patient Confidentiality”. www.ama.assn.org