Why has patient confidentiality become a more difficult issue to deal with in the present healthcare environment?
Other Requirements: Ms. X, a local television personality, visits Dr. C for an appointment. She is recognized by a medical assistant, who asks the nurse about this patient. The nurse confirms the patient’s identity and then the medical assistant goes to the computer, pulls up Ms. X’s records, and finds out that the patient is being treated for cancer.
The medical assistant calls her sister and shares this information about Ms. X, and the sister begins to call others to tell them about it.
Who violated confidentiality in this case? Can we blame everyone for this breach of confidentiality? What could have been done to protect Ms. X’s information?
