Patient confidentiality and privacy of health information is essential to maintain trust between patients and medical professionals. Sharing a patient's private health details with unauthorized individuals can damage their health and recovery, as well as cause legal issues for health organizations. Federal laws such as HIPAA are intended to legally protect the privacy of individual health information while still allowing patients access to medical care.

1. .
Confidentiality is one of the most important aspects of life, which is why patient privacy and
confidentiality is even more vital when it comes to their health information. Protecting the
private details of a patient is not just a matter of moral respect, it is essential in retaining the
important bond of trust between doctor and patient.

2. Sharing patient health information with the wrong individual can hurt them and their health
condition. When patients are already dealing with health issues and discover their personal health
information has been shared with the wrong individuals can sometimescause them a setback in
recovery, especially if they are dealing with a serious health situation. Not only will it hurt the
patient it will cause harm to the health care organization as well with a lawsuit as the result.

3. Confidentiality is an important aspect of the trust in a relationship between a patient and their
physician, and any other medical professional that have anything to do with providing care for
them.

4. The HIPAA Privacy Rule (45 CFR Parts 160 and 164) provides the first comprehensive Federal
protection for the privacy of health and mental health information. The Rule is intended to
provide strong legal protections to ensure the privacy of individual health information, without
interfering with patient access to treatment, health care operations, or quality of care.(HIPAA,
2012)

5. References: Confidentiality Stock Photos and Images. 589. Can Stock Photo. Retrieved
December 18, 2013, from http://wwwcanstockphoto.com/images-photos/confidentiality.html
HIPAA Privacy Rules for the Protection of Health and Mental Health (Nov 15, 2012). Retrieved
December 18, 2013, from http://www.omh.ny.gov/omhweb/hipaa/phi_protection.html
Wolper, L. F. (2011). Health Care Administration: Managing Organized Delivery Systems (5th
Ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishing Company.