What is confidentiality?

What is confidentiality?

• A. The act of holding information in confidence, not to be released to unauthorized individuals
• B. The act of sharing information with the public
• C. The act of documenting patient care
• D. The act of obtaining consent before a procedure

Answer: (A)

Confidentiality means keeping a patient’s information private and sharing it only with people who need to know for the patient’s care or with the patient’s permission. It protects privacy, supports trust between the patient and the care team, and is required by ethical and legal standards. Medical history, test results, and diagnoses should be safeguarded from unauthorized access. Sharing information with the public would violate confidentiality. Documenting patient care is about recording information securely, not about keeping it private. Obtaining consent before a procedure relates to informed consent and patient autonomy, not to privacy.

Confidentiality means keeping a patient’s information private and sharing it only with people who need to know for the patient’s care or with the patient’s permission. It protects privacy, supports trust between the patient and the care team, and is required by ethical and legal standards. Medical history, test results, and diagnoses should be safeguarded from unauthorized access. Sharing information with the public would violate confidentiality. Documenting patient care is about recording information securely, not about keeping it private. Obtaining consent before a procedure relates to informed consent and patient autonomy, not to privacy.