Breach of Patient Confidentiality
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Breach of Patient Confidentiality
Patients have the right to privacy concerning their state of health. It is against the code of ethics to divulge health information about the patient to third parties without their consent. Regardless of whether the third parties are close family members or friends, the patient must approve the divulgence of information. Therefore, the nurses and other medical practitioners should keep this secret unless otherwise (Startupsmart, 2018). If a colleague divulges information to the family members of the patient without any consent, then this amounts to a breach of patient confidentiality, which calls for disciplinary action. In this case, it is essential to take immediate action and stop the breach before the colleague gives the information to the family members (Startupsmart, 2018). If the colleague does not stop, the next step is to report this breach of patient confidentiality to the relevant people. I am obligated to report because if I do not, this can make me complicit because of ignoring the breach (Startupsmart, 2018). The first step is to remind the colleague that according to HIPAA laws, breaches in patient confidentiality should be reported, regardless of who made it. After reporting this breach of patient confidentiality, the facility compliance officer or nurse manager will carry out their investigations and take the necessary action on the nurse depending on the severity of the breach.
Reference
Startupsmart. (2018). What to do if a Confidentiality Agreement is Breached. Retrieved from https://www.smartcompany.com.au/business-advice/legal/what-to-do-if-a-confidentiality- agreement-is-breached/