title: Medical confidentiality.
abstract: Confidentiality in the medical relationship is an important, but by no means absolute, concept. It is a means by which the law protects the patient's privacy. But there are sometimes more important ideals than the protection of privacy. In order to determine whether confidentiality is to be recognised, the patient's interest in his privacy must be balanced with other potentially conflicting interests. Each legal system must determine for itself the weight to be given to any particular interest.
authors.affiliation: University of Aberdeen, Scotland.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Norrie
mesh_terms: D003219:Confidentiality / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations