Confidentiality between a Doctor and Patient
Patients are granted a degree of privacy when they seek treatment for an illness or injury. Under doctor-patient confidentiality agreements, physicians are not allowed to share sensitive information regarding a patient’s health with another party unless the patient has given consent. With consent, a doctor can release a patient’s information for a variety of useful and important purposes. However, there are also other instances in which doctor-patient confidentiality does not apply.
For more information on breach of doctor-patient confidentiality and other medical mistakes, contact the Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., by calling 215-238-1130 today.
Doctor-Patient Confidentiality Allowances
In some cases, a doctor may actually have the legal obligation to release a patient’s information, with or without consent. In these situations, doctor-patient confidentiality is superseded by other requirements or allowances.
The following instances may allow a physician to break doctor-patient confidentiality agreements:
- Release of information for insurance purposes
- Records of child abuse
- Information tied to a subpoena
- Reports for government health organizations
With few exceptions, medical professionals are not allowed to share patient records without a patient’s direct consent.
Contact Us
If your doctor has released sensitive records or information regarding your health and has not secured your consent, you may be entitled to pursue legal action against that health care provider. For more information regarding your legal options, contact the Philadelphia medical malpractice attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., today at 215-238-1130.