Disclosure Laws

With electronic medical records being introduced in many hospitals worldwide, the liability for data spillover is of concern to ethicists, patients, and advocacy groups. Two concepts that bear a strong value and significance in the context of health care are indissolubly linked to patient information and disclosure regulations. There cannot be a thorough discussion regarding personal health data without also addressing privacy and confidentiality rights and their exceptions. Privacy and confidentiality concepts represent the rule in attempting to avoid data misuse and discrimination and in protecting human dignity. Disclosure is the exception, regulated and accepted under specific conditions for certain cases.