Confidentiality and the ethics of medical ethics

W A Rogers; H Draper

doi:10.1136/jme.29.4.220

Responses

PDF

Symposium on the ethics of research publishing

Confidentiality and the ethics of medical ethics

Free

Compose a Response to This Article

Compose Response

Title *

Author Information

Contributors
First Name and Middle Initial * First or given name, e.g. 'Peter'. Last Name * Your last, or family, name, e.g. 'MacMoody'. Email Address * Your email address, e.g. higgs-boson@gmail.com Occupation * Your role and/or occupation, e.g. 'Orthopedic Surgeon'. Affiliation * Your organization or institution (if applicable), e.g. 'Royal Free Hospital'.

Statement of Competing Interests

Competing interests? *

Yes

Please describe the competing interests

PLEASE NOTE:

A rapid response is a moderated but not peer reviewed online response to a published article in a BMJ journal; it will not receive a DOI and will not be indexed unless it is also republished as a Letter, Correspondence or as other content. Find out more about rapid responses.
We intend to post all responses which are approved by the Editor, within 14 days (BMJ Journals) or 24 hours (The BMJ), however timeframes cannot be guaranteed. Responses must comply with our requirements and should contribute substantially to the topic, but it is at our absolute discretion whether we publish a response, and we reserve the right to edit or remove responses before and after publication and also republish some or all in other BMJ publications, including third party local editions in other countries and languages
Our requirements are stated in our rapid response terms and conditions and must be read. These include ensuring that: i) you do not include any illustrative content including tables and graphs, ii) you do not include any information that includes specifics about any patients,iii) you do not include any original data, unless it has already been published in a peer reviewed journal and you have included a reference, iv) your response is lawful, not defamatory, original and accurate, v) you declare any competing interests, vi) you understand that your name and other personal details set out in our rapid response terms and conditions will be published with any responses we publish and vii) you understand that once a response is published, we may continue to publish your response and/or edit or remove it in the future.
By submitting this rapid response you are agreeing to our terms and conditions for rapid responses and understand that your personal data will be processed in accordance with those terms and our privacy notice.

I agree to and have read the terms and conditions for rapid responses and BMJ Privacy Notice *

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Vertical Tabs

Other responses

Jump to comment:

Re: Rogers and Draper: Confidentiality and the ethics
Susanne McCabe (Stevens)
Published on: 17 December 2003

Published on: 17 December 2003
Re: Rogers and Draper: Confidentiality and the ethics
- Susanne McCabe (Stevens), Retired
Dear Editor
In response to your interesting article I would thank you for raising the issue of potential breach of confidence in relation to the teaching of ethics.
I think what is missing from your account, from my perspective, is the concept of members of OUR society being in this together. It is not simply an issue which should be debated in the rather 'them-patients' and 'us-practitioners' manne...
Show More

Dear Editor
In response to your interesting article I would thank you for raising the issue of potential breach of confidence in relation to the teaching of ethics.
I think what is missing from your account, from my perspective, is the concept of members of OUR society being in this together. It is not simply an issue which should be debated in the rather 'them-patients' and 'us-practitioners' manner you have taken.
The way forward is to include all stakeholders - otherwise it becomes a rather 'bullylike' situation whereby those with the most power - ie in this case through access to information disclosed in trust by uninformed people, can overide the interests or rights of others. In a civilised society I believe all should be treated with equal respect and this places a responsibility on ethicists, etc. to inform the uninformed as part of their work. In this case those such as researchers, clinicians, ethicists etc. - 'know the score' and can protect their own interests and indeed that of those in their wider social circle, by deciding what they will or will not disclose. Therefore, the suggestion that information should be used without the prior consent of those in the vulnerable position - is unethical.
Perhaps ethicists and others might also think of using other parts of the media in addition to specialist journals, which are to a great extent still exclusive, to publish articles like this so that they will reach a wider audience. Or perhaps advertise the Journal more widely. That it is likely to generate more complexity should not be a reason to avoid wider inclusion.
Show Less

Conflict of Interest:
None declared.
- Back to top

Main menu

Plain text

PLEASE NOTE:

Vertical Tabs

Other responses

Jump to comment:

Log in using your username and password

Main menu

Log in using your username and password

You are here

Plain text

PLEASE NOTE:

Vertical Tabs

Other responses

Jump to comment:

Read the full text or download the PDF:

Log in using your username and password

Other content recommended for you