When it comes to medical malpractice, it is completely understandable for you to immediately think about the horrible mistakes that some medical professionals make during procedures or treatment; or the terrible conditions that some patients have to deal with as a result of those mistakes. While these circumstances make up vast amount of medical malpractice lawsuits, there are also plenty of situations where doctor-patient confidentiality plays a role in such a lawsuit.
What is doctor-patient confidentiality? You’ve probably heard of it before, but this term refers to the agreement that a patient and a doctor inherently know when a patient seeks treatment with the doctor. The agreement is that the patient’s information and medical record is confidential and that none of the information contained therein will be released to other parties.
Doctor-patient confidentiality is important not just for the patient, but for the doctor as well. Without this confidentiality, the patient may not tell the doctor everything that he or she needs to know to adequately treat the patient.
Breaches of doctor-patient confidentiality happen, and when they do, the patient can seek retribution in the form of a malpractice or invasion of privacy lawsuit. Basically any information relating to your medical condition, medical record, medical treatment, and even the opinions and diagnoses of doctors relating to your condition can’t be released to other parties.
Doctor-patient confidentiality also doesn’t have a time restraint, at least from a practical standpoint. It lasts even after a person dies. This confidentiality is a pillar of the medical field and the relationship between a patient and his or her medical professionals.
Source: FindLaw, “Breaches of Doctor-Patient Confidentiality,” Accessed June 9, 2015
