Many patients in Salt Lake City and other locations in Utah are aware that their private medical information is confidential. Sometimes, however, doctors violate this exclusive confidentiality, leaving patients uncomfortable with sharing important bits of information.
Under certain circumstances, medical professionals are encouraged—and legally required—to disclose any relevant information to authorities. But, anyhow, what exactly is the physician-patient privilege, and what is its role in a drug injury or drug-related crime?
HG Legal Resources refers to the physician-patient privilege as: “the concept that communications between a patient and his or her doctor will be protected from disclosure to third parties and cannot be used against the patient in court or other legal proceedings.”
By law, medical professionals in Salt Lake City and elsewhere are required to have their patients sign a privacy waiver before going through with any treatment. These waivers basically give patients the freedom to discuss anything with their doctors, even if it’s troublesome. Doctors, then, are responsible for treating their patients with care and respect.
There are some exceptions, however. Should a patient confess to his/her doctor in the office about a previous drug-related crime or causing a drug injury to someone else, the patient’s doctor may not testify against him/her at court. However, outside of the office, the tables can turn.
If a patient shares information about a drug injury or crime that he/she committed outside of the doctor’s office, that information is technically not confidential. In other words, meeting up with your doctor for dinner in Salt Lake City is an entirely different game. The physician-patient privilege does not protect communications with a medical professional when he or she is not treating a patient.
Patients should always be honest with their physicians and doctors, though. Fearing that one’s dangerous past may result in an arrest or an in-court testimony is actually counterproductive. Hiding the truth can lead to ineffective or prolonged treatments, or even misdiagnoses. The physician-patient privilege was created to avoid these types of situations, and patients can testify against their doctors for breach of confidentiality.
Even though this privilege protects patients from possible liability disclosures, there are laws in Salt Lake City and in other major U.S. cities that require doctors to share some key information. To protect citizens, in the case of a severe drug injury or crime, a suspect’s doctor may be asked to give a professional opinion or share any critical evidence with law enforcement. If anyone struggles to understand the physician-patient privilege, or suspects their doctor(s) have breached the right, they should contact an experienced attorney.
Aubrey Andersen-Bakker is a legal writer reporter for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Robert J Debry.
Under certain circumstances, medical professionals are encouraged—and legally required—to disclose any relevant information to authorities. But, anyhow, what exactly is the physician-patient privilege, and what is its role in a drug injury or drug-related crime?
HG Legal Resources refers to the physician-patient privilege as: “the concept that communications between a patient and his or her doctor will be protected from disclosure to third parties and cannot be used against the patient in court or other legal proceedings.”
By law, medical professionals in Salt Lake City and elsewhere are required to have their patients sign a privacy waiver before going through with any treatment. These waivers basically give patients the freedom to discuss anything with their doctors, even if it’s troublesome. Doctors, then, are responsible for treating their patients with care and respect.
There are some exceptions, however. Should a patient confess to his/her doctor in the office about a previous drug-related crime or causing a drug injury to someone else, the patient’s doctor may not testify against him/her at court. However, outside of the office, the tables can turn.
If a patient shares information about a drug injury or crime that he/she committed outside of the doctor’s office, that information is technically not confidential. In other words, meeting up with your doctor for dinner in Salt Lake City is an entirely different game. The physician-patient privilege does not protect communications with a medical professional when he or she is not treating a patient.
Patients should always be honest with their physicians and doctors, though. Fearing that one’s dangerous past may result in an arrest or an in-court testimony is actually counterproductive. Hiding the truth can lead to ineffective or prolonged treatments, or even misdiagnoses. The physician-patient privilege was created to avoid these types of situations, and patients can testify against their doctors for breach of confidentiality.
Even though this privilege protects patients from possible liability disclosures, there are laws in Salt Lake City and in other major U.S. cities that require doctors to share some key information. To protect citizens, in the case of a severe drug injury or crime, a suspect’s doctor may be asked to give a professional opinion or share any critical evidence with law enforcement. If anyone struggles to understand the physician-patient privilege, or suspects their doctor(s) have breached the right, they should contact an experienced attorney.
Aubrey Andersen-Bakker is a legal writer reporter for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Robert J Debry.