Confidentiality vs. Public Safety: Ethical Dilemmas in Healthcare with Physicians such as Mark E Bor

Mark E Borden Md05 Oct, 2024Health

The balance between patient confidentiality and public safety represents one of the most challenging ethical dilemmas in healthcare. Confidentiality is a cornerstone of the patient-provider relationship, ensuring that sensitive information shared during medical consultations remains private. This trust encourages patients to disclose all necessary information, leading to accurate diagnoses and effective treatment. However, situations arise where maintaining confidentiality could potentially harm others or the broader public. For instance, if a patient poses a threat to others or is diagnosed with a communicable disease, the healthcare provider faces the ethical challenge of deciding whether to breach confidentiality to protect public safety.