Confidentiality In Health And Social Care Essay

Maintaining a patient’s privacy is the tool that guides the right to the fullest extent to confidentiality (Fisher, 2008). The legal and ethical issue in human service that will be discussed in this paper will be; what is confidentiality, who is protected, the important aspects of confidentiality, confidentiality in the workplace, confidentiality for victim of domestic violence and the implications of a breach of confidentiality.
Confidentiality is a protection and the assurance of the right to one’s privacy and protecting their information is described as the most important professional duty. Confidentiality is referred to as the general protection afforded to the communication, information, and records received and kept by health and human service professionals (Dickerson, 2001). It involves professional ethics and indicated an explicit promise

At least forty states have statues that protect the confidentiality of individuals with AIDS and HIV information in certain situations (Dickerson, p.446). In most jurisdictions presently protects the confidentiality of the individual with AIDS. A prime example of this is the liability for disclosure of one’s information. In the case of Doe v. Borough of Barrington, U.S District Court 1990 (Dickerson, p.110). The information that Mr. Doe had willingly provided to the officer with confidential information should have not been released to the public or neighbors should have been kept a secret. He trusted the officer with vital information that should have not been shared. Under the law Mr. Doe right to his privacy was violated. The open communication that had originated with the officer and Mr. Doe was protected to ensure it in confidence that it would not be disclosed. The privileged communication statements that were made by the parties had a protected relationship which was protected by the law (Dickerson,