A clinician discloses a patient’s private health information to a coworker without the patient’s consent. Which term applies?

A clinician discloses a patient’s private health information to a coworker without the patient’s consent. Which term applies?

• A. Breach of Confidentiality
• B. Defamation
• C. Assault
• D. Battery

Answer: (A)

Maintaining patient privacy is a fundamental expectation in healthcare. When a clinician shares a patient’s private health information with a coworker who does not need to know it for care, that is a breach of confidentiality. It violates the patient’s right to control who has access to their health data and goes against professional ethics and legal protections like HIPAA. Defamation would require making false statements that harm someone’s reputation; assault involves threatening or causing physical harm; and battery refers to harmful physical contact. None of those involve the improper disclosure of private health information, so the best fit is breach of confidentiality.

Maintaining patient privacy is a fundamental expectation in healthcare. When a clinician shares a patient’s private health information with a coworker who does not need to know it for care, that is a breach of confidentiality. It violates the patient’s right to control who has access to their health data and goes against professional ethics and legal protections like HIPAA. Defamation would require making false statements that harm someone’s reputation; assault involves threatening or causing physical harm; and battery refers to harmful physical contact. None of those involve the improper disclosure of private health information, so the best fit is breach of confidentiality.