Confidentiality is discretion in keeping secret information. According to wikipedia, confidentiality is an ethical principle associated with several professions (e.g., medicine, law). Some types of communication between a person and one of these professionals are “privileged” and may not be discussed or divulged to third parties. Confidentiality has also been defined by the International Organization for Standardization in ISO-17799 [1] as “ensuring that information is accessible only to those authorized to have access” and is one of the cornerstones of information security.
In other words, the whole essence of “confidentiality” is the protection of privileged information, be it personal or otherwise. The fact remains that there is an ethical obligation for each party to keep information private.
And yet, does it actually exist in our culture here, where we tend to divulge information? Even without mentioning the person’s name, we still blab about it.
What’s ironic is that personally, we want to protect certain information whether it’s about us or someone else, but we tend to get tempted to disclose it for some reason.
I have yet to meet anyone who refuses the value of privacy. But perhaps because it is such good information that we need to share it with someone; or it’s something that we feel pressured, being the only one carrying it, that we need to unload the burden. Either that, or we seem to be guilty of disclosing information that requires secrecy.
What’s funny is that here in the Philippines, when people are asked about something of a private matter and they don’t want to disclose it, their answer tends to be “secret” — which is a bit counter-intuitive.
One of the key words about “confidentiality” is the word “ethical” — which basically means we have the obligation to guard and protect that particular information even if the person did not say “don’t tell anyone”. Confidentiality is still applicable, even more so.
In our workplace, everyone just loves to divulge information, especially if it’s something controversial in nature. The more the story is full of intrigue, the more it becomes tempting for us to share. Perhaps one of the perks of being in a workplace is that we hear juicy, intriguing stories from our co-workers or from customers.
When we visit our doctor at his clinic, and unfortunately, the offices here tend to be very small, almost cubicle style, patients waiting outside for their turn can literally hear everything that our doctor discusses with us.
Imagine coming out from your doctor’s office, and the rest of the patients waiting outside are looking at you and saying things to your face about how they pity you, or giving you advice about how you should handle your illnesses.
It happened to a friend of mine, and she was totally mortified.
If that happens to me, I might as well get a bullhorn, and announce it to the entire town so that everyone can know about it.
Often, you hear doctors talking to their patients either in the hallway or in the ward about their medical conditions, without being consciously aware that some people (other patients and their families) are listening to the conversation.
It’s worse when other patients get involved with your private conversation with your doctor, and often put in their opinion, as if they are part of the whole medical team.
I understand perfectly that these kinds of intrusions are not intended to impinge on the patient’s privacy, but rather, are more like acts of concern.
I blame the medical workers (whether they be doctors, nurses, nurse attendants, orderlies, or whomever) for their disturbing lack of discretion.
It’s the same with lawyers. Under any legal system, information between lawyers and clients is privileged.
Often, I hear people disclosing what was discussed between a lawyer and client, and I wonder how the information was revealed.
In the mental health field in the US, (and I assume in Europe, as well), the client’s confidentiality is observed utmost by the professional without exception.
The only time the therapist has an obligation to reveal the client’s information is when the client verbally expresses specific plans to commit suicide or homicide. These informations are bound to be reported as a matter of law.
What I am actually saying is that we, the professionals, have to maintain and uphold our client or patient’s confidentiality.
Of course, it is a different story when the clients or patients themselves start blabbing their information for the public to hear. Obviously, that’s no one’s fault but their own.
But as professionals who took ethical oaths to respect privacy, we have no recourse but to take that confidentiality as a privileged obligation to our clients.
