WBR1023

Author	[[PageAuthor::Vidit Bhargava, M.B.B.S [1]]]
Exam Type	ExamType::USMLE Step 1
Main Category	MainCategory::Ethics
Sub Category
Prompt	[[Prompt::The patient has an absolute right to his privacy. It’s a physician’s duty to respect this privacy and not share it with anyone, whether it be patients family, colleagues or some random person. In which of the following conditions does this not hold true?]]
Answer A	[[AnswerA::Spouse of a cancer patient is extremely worried about his health and wants to know about the illness, so that she can support him emotionally.]]
Answer A Explanation	AnswerAExp::Unless the patient specifically permits sharing his medical information, it cannot be shared even with his wife.
Answer B	[[AnswerB::An employee has been absent from work for about 2 weeks and the employer calls the physician threatening him that his patient might lose the job, unless he is told about the specific nature of the illness.]]
Answer B Explanation	AnswerBExp::The situation demands a valid written consent from patient, which must be calmly explained to the employer.
Answer C	AnswerC::A colleague asks about his son, who tested positive for syphilis.
Answer C Explanation	AnswerCExp::Even sharing medical knowledge with a fellow physician is not permitted by privacy laws.
Answer D	[[AnswerD::State police wants to gather a person’s medical records, who is convicted of rape.]]
Answer D Explanation	AnswerDExp::Police needs a valid warrant to be given any patient information.
Answer E	AnswerE::A 16 year old boy demanding to withhold his syphilis positive test from his parents.
Answer E Explanation	AnswerEExp::The boy can withhold this information from his parents but not his sexual partners.
Right Answer	RightAnswer::D
Explanation	[[Explanation::There are certain circumstances in which a physician can disclose patient information: When authorized by the patient. When police holds a warrant demanding information. When asked by court of law. When withholding a disease may be a public threat. Such as Sexually transmitted diseases. Educational objective: Even police cannot be divulged medical information without a valid warrant. Educational Objective: References: ]]
Approved	Approved::Yes
Keyword	WBRKeyword::HIPPA
Linked Question	Linked::
Order in Linked Questions	LinkedOrder::