Patient Confidentiality Case Study

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Pages: 8

Introduction This fall, Jessica* was raped. Like most victims of rape, she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Because Jessica told the forensic nurse that she was at risk of harming herself, the forensic nurse breached patient confidentiality and informed physicians and nearby nurses working with Jessica. Patient confidentiality is the pact between patient and physician in which anything the patient shares with the physician remains between the patient and the physician alone (De Bord et al. 3). However, there are countless situations in which this pact of privacy must be breached to protect the safety of the patient or others. It is morally required for mental health care providers to breach the rule of patient confidentiality in cases where the patient expresses anything that suggest the patient will harm themselves or others, where coworkers of mental health care providers must care for said patient, where the patient shares any information that may be needed to prevent a serious crime, and where the said …show more content…
Although this is a more indirect breach of confidentiality, this is one of the ways physicians can prevent serious crimes. One example that highlights the need for detailed background checks is the Virginia Tech shooting of 2007 (Williams 00:01:13-00:01:35). The gunman was deemed by a court judge a year prior to the shooting to be dangerous due to mental illness; however, this never made it to his background check (Williams 00:00:1-00:01:00). This example alone shows the impact of poor background checks and how it is vital for physicians and any other professional to release information on victims of mental health. Professionals working with mental health patients at risk of harming themselves or others must provide said information for background