Doctor–patient relationship trust pe tikka hota hai. Confidentiality ka matlab hai ki jo bhi sensitive health information doctor ko pata chalta hai, woh generally patient ki permission ke bina disclose nahi kar sakta.
Records, diagnosis, test reports, mental health details, sexual history – sab protected hote hain. Doctor inhe training, teaching, research ke liye anonymised form me use kar sakta hai, but identity reveal nahi karni chahiye.
Exceptions bhi hain. Agar law specifically demand kare – jaise court order, notifiable diseases report karna, insurance claim investigation, medico-legal case – to limited disclosure allowed hai. Suicide risk, harm to others, child abuse jaise situations me protective disclosure ka legal/ethical justification hota hai.
Hospitals ko bhi data security ensure karna hota hai – loose files, open computers, corridor me discuss karna – yeh sab breach ho sakte hain.
Patients apne records dekhne ka right rakhte hain, copies demand kar sakte hain. Confidentiality ka respect doctor–patient bond ko strong banata hai aur logon ko open share karne me comfortable rakhta hai.