Medicine & Morals - Lesson 6

Knowledge on the Deeper Side

Medicine and Morals - Lesson 6 Secret Code: Genetics and the Ethics of Patient Confidentiality A basic presumption of modern medical practice is that patients have a right for their medical history to be kept confidential unless they explicitly waive those rights. What happens, however, when those records contain information that might impact other family members? Do children have the right to know they are carriers of a particular disease, or may the parent keep that information private? This lesson looks at some ways of balancing the harm to the individual whose privacy is invaded against the need to provide family members with vital health information.