Confidentiality is one of the cornerstones of communication in the areas of health and social services. It ensures trust and security. Our Communication Skills in Health and Social Services course discusses privacy in health care and social services in detail. The course is designed to teach each medically trained person to refine their English communication and work ethic. Communication with colleagues is, of course, crucial – but beware – a Canadian observational study found that privacy breaches occurred in 11% of elevator trips made by doctors (names were given in 3%).8 Our own unpublished observations suggest that this practice is not unknown in the UK. It would be pointless to ban all conversations about patients as hospital rounds progress, but we should think about who can hear and whether we should mention the patient`s name. Another problem is that it is difficult to ensure that patients in nearby beds do not hear confidential information during a visit. The strong and healthy tradition that medical students present cases at the patient`s bedside during the consultant`s visit is also problematic. Similarly, service staff must know the names and locations of all patients, but does this information need to be as visible as in most departments? A year later, this law was introduced to improve the safety and quality of care. Various measures have been put in place, but the most relevant is that health care providers and adult social services can now share information about a person`s care with other health professionals and nurses. It`s also important to note that privacy doesn`t just refer to cases where you share information orally. If you have someone`s records in a file or in a computer`s memory, you need to keep them safe.

No one else should access or consult them unless there is a valid reason. Confidential information must be shared with another member when it is used to ensure the well-being of the customer. Information should only be shared with members who work for the client. The team may include doctors, nurses, laboratory staff who can perform tests, social workers, etc. Healthcare professionals who take their privacy obligations seriously and take the time to clearly explain confidentiality rules are more likely to have patients honestly report their symptoms. This makes it easier for doctors to make more informed decisions, more accurate diagnoses, and personalized treatment plans that lead to better health outcomes. Health and social service providers receive extensive training on what is appropriate in terms of confidentiality, but it can be difficult for foreigners to know what legislation is in place and how it is being implemented. The patient`s secret meets the needs of patients and doctors. It protects patients from misuse of their data. It also serves the best interests of doctors. For example, patient medical and privacy privileges – which ensure patients are secure and used only to improve health outcomes – allow physicians to build relationships with patients based on trust and open communication, improving the quality of care they provide.

Health and social workers should keep abreast of the latest legally applicable privacy rules and regulations. For example, a night nurse takes care of an old lady in a household. One day, the nurse discovers that there are bruises on the old lady`s body. The lady says the daycare beat her because she didn`t do what the nurse asked her to do when asked. But the old lady insisted that the night nurse not tell anyone. In this case, the night nurse must speak to a higher authority, even if it violates the rules of confidentiality. Confidentiality of health care and social services is essential because it helps patients and clients trust that they can share information, which can be extremely important to ensure they receive the care they need. Maintaining confidentiality is therefore crucial for healthcare professionals and caregivers to do their important work. In a health and social care environment, confidentiality means that the physician must maintain trust between him and the patient within the framework of good nursing practices. This means that the doctor should not tell anyone what a patient has said and its details, except those who need to know. This includes ensuring that no one – except those who need to know – is shown to a person`s personal notes or computer records. The Data Protection Act 1998 protects the use and « processing » (alteration, deletion, retrieval or disclosure) of « personal data ».

These are « data subjects » (your patients) and « data controllers » (your trust or primary care trust). The law is not limited to « health records, » but defines them as any document « relating to the health or physical or mental condition of a person » created « by or on behalf of a health professional in the course of a person`s care. » 9 Suppose you work as a caregiver and accidentally observe one of your loved ones seeing pornographic (legal) material. They point out how embarrassing it is for them, so ask not to tell anyone. Here you have no substantial evidence that something undesirable is happening. In the context of health care and social service providers, it is necessary to preserve the privacy of the client. It preserves the professionalism of a service provider and ensures that the customer`s data is safe with him. Customers will feel more comfortable using the service. While disclosure is required at certain times (Box 1), maintaining confidentiality in a busy position or practice environment can be an issue. Young doctors often have to talk to people on the phone, but how often do we stop to think about who might be listening? The American Academy of Family Physicians reports that 69% of its members use web portal technology with secure messaging to interact with their patients.

Web portals are also used for prescription renewal, scheduling and health information sharing. However, sometimes things are not so simple and it can be easy to misread and misunderstand the signs. If you have concerns about someone or if a privacy issue arises, you should always seek advice from your supervisor or supervisor. There are many uncertainties regarding confidentiality in the health and social services sector. Common questions raise concerns such as « When should I disclose confidential information? » and « Will I violate confidentiality if I express my concerns? » The Human Rights Act gives people control over their privacy. Anyone in the UK has the right to retain confidential personal data. In health care and social services, this could include a patient talking to a doctor about their sexual activity. This is personal information that they have the right to keep private. This right may be suspended in certain circumstances, for example. B those mentioned earlier in this guide. At ENA, our team is an expert in privacy in health care and social services. If you need help or advice on privacy issues or on our specialized care services, please contact us and we will be happy to advise you.

Conversely, relatives sometimes know the severity of the diagnosis, but do not want the patient to be informed, often because they think he or she « could not stand it ». But the well-being of the patient should not be determined by relatives, and you should try to avoid such confrontations. A good policy is to explain to the family that you understand their concerns, but that you can`t lie to your patient and that they really want to deprive their loved one of the opportunity to make final arrangements or say goodbye to others? You may also want to point out that patients often recognize what`s going on, and that not making a terminal diagnosis can cause both parties to know the truth, but be afraid to mention it. Finally, confidentiality exists to protect inside information exchanged between you and your patient, not between you and a third party. « Organizations should put in place policies, procedures and systems to ensure that confidentiality rules are respected. » It is of course crucial to protect the client`s rights where appropriate, but health and social workers, as well as clients, should keep in mind that a caregiver`s duty to share information – if necessary – is equally important. In this situation, it is acceptable to override your duty of confidentiality. This is necessary to protect man from further damage. Disclosure of information on less serious crimes must be assessed carefully and with good advice. The GMC points out that the disclosure of serious crimes – including « those against the person, such as . B child abuse » – is reasonable.2 In this case, you should consult your trust`s child protection specialist.

What can you do in such situations? To begin with, you need to be able to justify your decision to break privacy. Policies may include access to protected medical information for members of health care organizations if it helps them perform their duties more effectively in the best interest of patient outcomes. This means that access to and use of patient information will be limited to other members of the healthcare team. In addition, procedures should be implemented to protect electronic health records from unauthorized access, modification and deletion. There are times when it`s normal not to tell your patient or client that you`re going to share their information. .