Building a patient's trust is just as important as following the letter of the law
The cases and discussion in the article by Braunack-Mayer and Mulligan in this issue of the Journal (page 277)1 provide informative examples of legal and ethical dimensions of confidentiality and privacy in doctor–patient relationships. It is important to clarify the foundations and scope of both legal and ethical duties.
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- Faculty of Law, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW.
Correspondence:
- 1. Braunack-Mayer AJ, Mulligan EC. Sharing patient information between professionals: confidentiality and ethics. Med J Aust 2003; 178: 277-279.<eMJA full text>
- 2. Privacy Act 1988 (Cwlth), section 14. National Privacy Principle 2. Available at: http://www.privacy.gov.au/publications/npps01.html#b (accessed Feb 2003).
- 3. Privacy Act 1988 (Cwlth), section 14. National Privacy Principle 2.1(a).
- 4. Privacy Act 1988 (Cwlth), section 14. National Privacy Principle 2.1(e).
- 5. Guidelines on privacy in the private health sector. Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner, November 2001. Available at: http://www.privacy.gov.au/health/guidelines/index.html#1 (accessed Feb 2003).
- 6. Temporary Public Interest Determination No. 2001-1. Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner, 22 July 2002. Available at: http://privacy.gov.au/publications/tpid2001_1med.pdf (accessed Feb 2003).
- 7. A-G v Guardian Newspapers Ltd (No 2) [1988] 3 WLR 776 at 807, per Lord Goff.
- 8. Hamblin J, Bell D. Confidentiality. In: Golden J, Grozier D, editors. The laws of Australia. Sydney: The Law Book Company Limited, 1994: Part 20.7, para [6].
- 9. Hippocrates. Jones WHS, translator. The Loeb Classical Library. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1923: 164-165.
- 10. Edelstein L. From the Hippocratic oath: text, translation and interpretation. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins Press, 1943.
- 11. von Staden H. In a pure and holy way: personal and professional conduct in the Hippocratic oath. J Hist Med Allied Sci 1998; 51: 406-408.
- 12. Campbell A, Charlesworth M, Gillett G, Jones G. Medical ethics. Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1998: 23.
- 13. Beauchamp TL, Childress JF. Principles of biomedical ethics. 5th ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994: 418-424.
- 14. Pellegrino ED, Thomasma DC. The virtues in medical practice. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993: 65-78.
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